About Us

Authentic Nigerian Art was founded in 2019 by Matthew (Father) and Daniel (Son, 2nd from the middle) Matel-Okoh. Both born in Nigeria and now living in New Jersey.

Our goal is to give you the chance to purchase beautiful pieces of art from Nigerian artist.

We love our country and want to showcase the artistic talent with the world, while also supporting these artist so that they can continue to produce their art.

The idea for Authentic Nigerian Art manifested a few years ago when My Dad came to me wanting help to sell his collection of Nigerian art he had amassed over the years. This was news to me as I had no idea he had been doing this. When I first saw his collection, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the pieces. And that’s the amazing thing about art, it makes you feel. 

“Every piece of art is a result of human imagination and creative impulse. It tells you a lot about the artist and his or her ways of seeing the world. Art stirs your emotions and makes you feel alive. Art takes you on a journey to places you've never been, never likely to go - and sometimes would never want to go to. With art we can live vicariously through others love, grief, pain and joy.” I believe this quote truly embodies what makes art so beautiful.

After seeing his collection, I started doing research on the artist because I was interested in seeing more of their work. This only confirmed what I had already known, and that was Nigeria was home to some of the most talented people on this planet. If there’s one thing I’ve always been passionate about its helping other, specifically the people from my country. I was born in Nigeria and later moved to the US.

Although me and my family have lived a prosperous life both back home and in America, many of my fellow country men and women have not been as lucky. Authentic Nigerian Art has given me the opportunity to give back to a country and continent that has given this world so much. For more information on how we do business with our artist, please check out our Fair-Trade Principles page.

Here at Authentic Nigerian Art, our mission is to not only share the breathtaking beauty of our collection but to also give you look into the history and culture of all things Nigerian Art. Take a look at our exclusive pieces here. Or you can dive into the deep and rich history of Nigerian Art in our blog.

 

Daniel Matel-Okoh

Co-Founder