Caring for a Painting in a Humid Climate, in Dakar or Elsewhere

A painting is best cared for in a humid climate, as in Dakar, by keeping it away from direct sunlight, watching for swings in humidity, especially during the rainy season, and hanging it away from any direct heat source. These simple rules apply whether the work is an oil painting on canvas, an acrylic, or a piece on paper shown under glass.

Humidity, the first risk in the tropics

A canvas stretched on a wooden frame reacts to changes in humidity: the wood swells or shrinks slightly with the room's moisture level, which over time can loosen the canvas or weaken the corners of the frame. During the rainy season, when humidity rises sharply, it helps to avoid hanging a painting against a poorly insulated outside wall, where condensation forms more easily, and to favour an air-conditioned or well-ventilated room instead.

Direct sunlight, the enemy of colour

Direct sunlight dulls a painting's colours over time, whether oil or acrylic, and speeds up the ageing of the support. A painting such as "Jour de fête" (festival day), an oil on canvas by Ibou Diagne, 100 x 100 cm, made in 2023, keeps better hung away from a south-facing window, or shielded by a light curtain if the room cannot be rearranged.

Dust, a simple but regular task

Dusting a painting is done with a dry, soft cloth, or a wide, soft brush, avoiding any cleaning product, which can damage a painted surface without it being obvious at first. Dusting about once a month is usually enough for a canvas hung in a normally closed room.

Works on paper under glass: protection already built in

Some works, such as Saadio's "Amulette," mixed media on kraft paper shown under glass, 60 x 50 cm, already benefit from protection against dust and humidity thanks to the glass and the frame. It still helps to avoid any direct sunlight on the frame, which can create a localised magnifying effect on the paper inside.

Hanging away from heat and moisture

A painting should never be hung directly above a radiator or a stove, or in a bathroom without ventilation: the combination of heat and humidity speeds up wear on both the support and the paint. A standard living space, at a stable temperature, remains the safest setting for a work once it is home.

If in doubt about a specific work

For any question about caring for a work bought at Ge'eza's gallery, the team is available on WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07 or by email to geezacultures@gmail.com. To learn more about buying a painting at the gallery, the article buying contemporary Senegalese art covers the steps, and Ibou Diagne's artist page presents his full body of work, in both oil and acrylic.