At home with….Ifeoma Dike

11 May 2021

Nigerian born Ifeoma Dike is an experienced psychologist who earned an MSc in Cognitive Neuropsychology at Oxford Brooks University. She aspired to use art as a therapeutic intervention for mental health, a serendipitous path which led to the discoveries of gaps within the art market. This in turn inspired her to forge a new career trajectory in the artworld, as an advisor, curator, culture activist and producer. She established IDD UK as a one-stop source to help individual, private, and corporate art buyers and collectors in their quest for great art.

Last year brought about many changes as a result of the pandemic, what were the consequences for you as an art advisor?

A significant aspect of my work is to acquire art on behalf of clients and to be a one stop source; from finding and buying art to getting it across the globe and installing it in the space or sending it to an art storage. The logistics and installation aspects of my role became difficult as they required travelling both locally and globally. The pandemic caused the charges for art logistics to skyrocket, which led to a drop in demand for artworks and a significant delay in getting art bought to clients. The difficulties with travel also meant that spatial curation and installation were done via video links, which isn’t the most ideal especially for an unfamiliar space or a new project. We also sadly saw numbers in the enquiries from new young art buyers dwindle because there were no longer graduate shows to attend.

Were there any works or artists that stood out for you during that time? Or were you surprised about any art market results/changes?

The art market appeared to have remained strong despite the fears at the beginning of the pandemic, as sales from various secondary markets have shown. The surprises for me are the recent auction records for Aboudia, the Ivorian artist and Joy Labinjo, the Nigerian artist, recently at Christie’s London auction.  

Outside the secondary market hype, I was enthralled by artist Ndidi Dike, for her conceptual portrayal of the ongoing catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and socio economic emergencies, which exposed fault lines and sharp inequalities for various marginalised and disenfranchised societies across the globe. To my mind, her exhibition The Commodities of Consumption and Sites of Extraction in the Global South brought home the reality and fragility of our existence and the imperativeness to change aspects of our way of life to save the planet.  

Having lived in the South of France through the pandemic, I have discovered amazing art foundations. Therefore, I’m delighted to have had opportunity to introduce work to Fondation Villa Datris, who will be considering her work for their next exhibition later in the year.  

Now that museums and galleries have been closed or travel to them is prohibited how do you still stay current with what is going on?

Being in such close proximity to Monaco meant that since the first lockdown was lifted, I have been able to enjoy some form of art and cultural interactions and have made new acquaintances and formed a new client base. Though curfew restricted some access to art events and exhibitions.

As a member of AWITA, I was privileged to access and attend very robust Zoom art events to keep members updated, educated, informed, stimulated and supported.

Many people who are new to buying art are looking for inspiration and guidance from those that have been buying art for a while, especially when it comes to buying their first work of art. Do you remember your first art purchase, and can you tell us why you acquired it?

The first “meaningful” art that I bought was on Artfido. A painting titled Sirens - African woman Latonia by Tatiana Siedlova, a Slovakian artist. The visceral reaction that I got from it and the questions it evoked made me write about it in an article I published on LinkedIn. It would be interesting to see what your readership thought of it.  

Is there one stand out tip that you can give to those who are starting a new collection or considering buying their first work of art?

It is alright to have an eclectic taste in style and period. But it is imperative to understand what you want and why. Buy what you like, even when you are buying for investment as you cannot be guaranteed a return on your investment. The last thing you want, is to be stuck with the art that you find unbearable, it makes what you paid for it acutely smarting. Always start with the artist, by going to graduate shows. This breeds familiarity, it offers versatility and accessibility. It is more interactive and nurtures the confidence required to step into a gallery scene, where you would most likely find highfalutin art buyers, collectors, advisors, curators and gallerists. Therefore, a more daunting space for a newbie.

Is there one work that you either own or would like to own that stands out above all others for you?

I like the photographs by Wolfgang Volz of wrapped trees at the Fondation Beyeler. I recently acquired a limited-edition print, signed by Volz, Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Also, I would really like a Julie Mehretu drawing or painting if I could afford an original piece. I appreciate aspects of social life and culture that inspires her creativity.

Many collectors are looking to deepen their knowledge of the arts and the market. Is there a book you can recommend?

The high demand for art by artists of African origin and Afro-American artists is why I would recommend The Black Market: A Guide to art collecting by Charles Moore. It is a great way for collectors to start diversifying their art portfolio.

I would also recommend Lydia Fenet’s book The Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You… For all women seeking to work professionally in this realm (and men too).

What do you feel is the role of art advisors and how do you think they can help collectors?

It is crucial to create tastemakers rather than nurture collectors who fall under the pressure of replicating what they see in the art collections of their peers or influencers. To achieve this, an advisor must be informed, bold, confident, dynamic and understand her role and obligations to clients. While it is imperative to meet the need of collectors buying for investment reasons, it is vital to create and nurture tastemakers. It is the reason why I invented the blind portfolio of equal representation of artists (showing merely images of artwork and title), to promote diversity of artists/artworks without clients feeling under the social pressures to choose artists based on gender, ethnicity or status. But instead decide upon what they like from the images presented to them. It has proved a huge success for me as an advisor and I created happy collectors who feel they are buying what they like rather than being forced to conform to social demands.

What is the one thing you look forward to in the art world in 2021?

I’m looking forward to creating and producing two art exhibitions later in the year. One with an English artist, Chris Spring and the second with French designer, sculptor and artist, Sylvain Subervie, in collaboration with a lighting company, around September and October 2021.