What Size Painting for an Apartment? The Gallery's Mid-Size Works

For an apartment living room, the mid-size works at Ge'eza's gallery run to a dozen or so: 70 x 90 cm and 90 x 70 cm by Ibou Diagne, 100 x 81 cm for one of his canvases, 80 x 60 cm by Saadio, 70 x 100 cm by Tampidaro. Thirteen works online fall into these sizes, all available, price given on request from each work's page on the gallery.

Ibou Diagne's 70 x 90 and 90 x 70 cm sizes

Four acrylics on canvas by Ibou Diagne measure 70 x 90 cm: "Vendeurs de café," "Jour de marché," "Rencontre" and "Les vendeuses de légumes," all dated 2025. Four further acrylics measure 90 x 70 cm: "À la fontaine," "Marché hebdomadaire 2," "Vendeurs d'oranges" and "La table de Mère Awa," also all from 2025. A ninth canvas, "Marchand ambulant," measures 100 x 81 cm, a slightly wider size, also acrylic.

Saadio's 80 x 60 cm size

Two canvases by Saadio, in mixed media, acrylic and Posca, measure 80 x 60 cm: "Cavalier seul" and "Le proverbe peul," both dated 2025. This size, taller than most of the artist's other canvases, stands apart from the more square or wider formats elsewhere in his catalogue.

Tampidaro's 70 x 100 cm size

Two works by Tampidaro, in mixed acrylic, measure 70 x 100 cm: "Le radeau de Saint-Louis" and "Saint-Louis," both from 2025. Wider than it is tall, this size suits a wall that stretches more than it rises, a wide hallway or a wall above a low piece of furniture.

Measuring your wall before choosing

Before settling on one of these thirteen sizes, measuring the available wall comes first. Aim for at least 20 cm of margin on each side of the work, so it does not touch a corner or another piece of furniture. For a wall around 120 cm wide, a 90 x 70 cm or 80 x 60 cm size leaves a comfortable margin; for a narrower wall, a vertical size such as 80 x 60 cm, hung portrait rather than landscape, often fits better than a wide horizontal piece.

Hanging height

For a living room where people mostly sit, the centre of the work is usually set at the eye level of someone seated, roughly 140 to 150 cm from the floor. If the painting hangs above a sofa or a piece of furniture, leave about 15 cm of clear space between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame, so the two do not visually collide.

Choosing between two close sizes

Faced with two works of similar size, such as 70 x 90 and 90 x 70 cm, the real question is less about centimetres than about the wall's orientation: a wall wider than it is tall calls for a horizontal size like 90 x 70 cm, while a wall taller than it is wide, in an entrance or a narrow hallway, suits a vertical size like 70 x 90 cm better. Comparing two pages side by side, with their exact measurements, helps picture the scale before choosing.

One piece or several hung together

A mid-size work, like the ones here, suits a single hang as well as a grouping of two or three pieces on the same wall, as long as the spacing between them stays even. Two works of similar size, such as Saadio's pair at 80 x 60 cm, can answer each other on the same stretch of wall without needing to share the same subject.

Asking for the price of a mid-size work

The price of any of these thirteen works is given directly from its page on the gallery site, or on WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07, naming the exact title. The team replies with the price, the technical details and the certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. The guide Art for Your Home in Dakar covers conservation in a humid climate, useful once the work is hanging.

For an apartment abroad

For an apartment outside Dakar, the guide African Art in a Modern Interior covers the same questions of scale and light, applied to a living room in Paris, Brussels, London or New York. A work can be shipped out of Dakar on a quote once payment is made.

Comparing sizes in person

Nothing replaces an in-person visit for judging a work's actual size: the gallery can be visited without an appointment, Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm, at 656 avenue Birago Diop, Point E. For any question before deciding, write on WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07 or email geezacultures@gmail.com.