Art Is Not Just Something She Hangs on Walls
How Bolanle turned her love for art into an investment strategy, one canvas at a time.
Hey! you smell that?
That’s Sunday rice with coconut basmati, charcoal-grilled chicken, and cold kunu.
This week’s serving is tasty, and rich:
👉 Bolanle’s journey from art lover to art investor
👉 How she uses platforms like Masterworks to build wealth
👉 The hidden world of art as an asset class
👉 Market moves that matter this week
👉 Reader Q&A on alternative investing
Let’s eat…
“I Don’t Just Hang Art. I Invest in It.”
That’s how Bolanle opened her voice note.
Soft voice that almost sounded like jazz and Asa had a baby.
She was chatting from a small gallery in Abuja, walking around with the hope of finding an art piece she could add to her collection.
“I grew up in a house with countless art on the walls. Not expensive ones. But expressive. Emotional. Our walls were full of stories. My mum said it helped her breathe.”
With every piece of art hung on the wall, and as she grew older, Bolanle always thought she’d be a collector. She just didn’t know she’d become an investor.
It Started With a Painting
A Lagos art fair. A striking portrait by a rising Nigerian artist. It cost ₦125K back then in 2018. Bolanle bought it with part of her rent money (and her whole chest).
“I nearly fainted when I got back home and had post-buy clarity. My rent was due in less than three weeks so it almost felt like a financial mistake. But that painting did something to me. I felt like I owned a part of someone’s soul, and a piece of the future.”
Five years later. Her painting? She sold it for ₦2.1 million.
Then She Discovered Masterworks
“I found Masterworks from a newsletter I read. They were offering fractional ownership of blue-chip art. Real paintings. Real artists. Sold at top auction houses. I was like; wait, you mean I can own part of a Banksy or Basquiat?”
No gallery visits.
No shipping fees.
Just verified art assets, split into shares.
Buy in. Hold. Exit when sold.
“I started by investing $500 in a painting by Cecily Brown in 2022. They sold it in 2024 for a 17.8% net annualized return. I got my piece of the profit. And I didn’t have to lift a brush.” “It felt surreal. I showed my cousin my portfolio: See that? I own 0.008% of a Banksy.’ He said: ‘You dey whine me?’”
Art Is an Asset Class With Receipts
We’re talking blue-chip art. The kind that hangs in museums and makes rich people whisper.
Over the past 20 years, contemporary art has outperformed the S&P 500 with lower volatility. Yes, even during recessions. And unlike stocks and crypto, it doesn’t swing 30% in a week.
And platforms like Masterworks, and Mintus let everyday people co-own multimillion-dollar pieces from artists like:
🎨 Jean-Michel Basquiat
🎨 Banksy
🎨 Yayoi Kusama
🎨 Pablo Picasso
🎨 Amoako Boafo
🎨 Cecily Brown
“It’s like real estate, but sexier,” Bolanle says. “It appreciates in silence. No noise. No charts. No panic.”
What About NFTs?
Not for her. Not yet.
“As a product designer who paints on weekends, I know how to spot value, even when it’s wearing acrylic.”
While most people are busy collecting NFTs with frog faces, Bolanle owns shares in real canvases.
“I’m not here for hype. I buy arts tied to artists with actual careers. Not anonymous monkeys. I want work that holds cultural and emotional weight.”
“The secret? Buy art the same way you’d buy land. Long-term, with intention.”
Why Art Might Deserve a Seat in Your Portfolio
It’s not just for the ultra-rich. Not anymore.
Art is a $1.7 trillion global market, and growing.
“I invest in stocks. I invest in T-bills. But when I invest in art, I am also talking ROI. Not just financially. Emotionally.”
And she’s right.
Art is one of the few investments that can increase in value and still bring you joy every day it hangs on your wall.
Let’s break it down:
✅ Diversification → Art doesn’t follow stock market trends. When stocks fall, art often holds steady.
✅ Scarcity → They’re not making more Monets. Demand stays high.
✅ Protection against inflation → Art prices tend to rise with inflation, and even faster.
✅ Emotional return → You get to own something beautiful and valuable.
Bolanle’s Tips for New Collectors
Start small – Buy a local artist's piece you love
Think long-term – Hold 5+ years. Don’t flip
Use Masterworks – For blue-chip exposure without ₦100M entry fees
Join communities – Art X Lagos, NFT Africa, AfriFuture DAO, Bold Art
Invest emotionally, but verify financially
Bolanle’s Top Picks
📊 Arts
Jean-Michel Basquiat → Cultural icon and collector favorite. Prices keep climbing. Scarce, loud, and always in demand.
Cecily Brown → Chaotic, sensual abstracts. Masterwork’s exit hit 17.8% return. Female-led, high-conviction pick.
Amoako Boafo → Rising star of African art. Bold, Black portraiture with global momentum.
📈 Stocks
Nvidia (NVDA) → AI’s backbone. Chips, data centers, and market dominance. Still flying, even at trillion-dollar scale.
Tesla (TSLA) → EV giant + energy play. Volatile, yes. But a cult stock with real fundamentals and upside.
Masterworks let you buy fractional shares of multi-million dollar paintings. Start investing on Masterworks now!
Reader Reflection of the Week
@Sandra from Enugu asks:
"I love art, but is there a smart way to invest in it?"
Absolutely, Sandra. There is.
📌 Do your research
📌 Buy what holds cultural and emotional value
📌 Think long-term (5+ years)
📌 Start small with local galleries, and emerging artists
📌 Or go fractional on platforms like Masterworks.
The smart way to invest in art is to treat it like any other long-term asset.
Just make sure you’re not chasing trends.
Buy what matters. And diversify.
Got a question? Drop it here or just reply to this email.
Market Moves This Week
The S&P 500 eased slightly from record highs, while the Nasdaq posted a weekly gain → Driven by tech resilience and optimism amid cooling inflation.
Bitcoin flew past $118,000 ahead of U.S. “Crypto Week” → Surging investor interest and renewed retail activity pushed it to fresh all-time highs.
Silver rose to its highest level since 2011 → Gaining nearly 27% this year and outperforming gold as a safe-haven favorite in uncertain markets.
Nvidia becomes the first $4 trillion company → Founder, Jensen Huang, became richer than Warren Buffett, after a major stock sale this week.
Trump announced 30% tariffs on EU and Mexican imports → Rattled markets as analysts flagged potential retaliation and slowed global trade momentum.
Oil rebounded 2.8% to $70.36 per barrel → Prices climbed on tighter EIA supply forecasts and new tariff uncertainty shaking global demand expectations.
Mark Your Calendar
Crypto Week (July 14–18): U.S. House kicks off key hearings → Regulatory outcomes could drive the next crypto leg.
Tuesday, July 15 → CPI and industrial production hit together → Key inflation and output data could sway Fed moves.
Wednesday, July 16 → PPI and Beige Book drop → A closer look at price pressures and business sentiment.
Thursday, July 17 → Data flood: jobless claims, retail sales, import prices → All signals pointing to consumer strength or slowdown.
Friday, July 18 → Consumer sentiment and housing starts wrap the week → Early read on confidence and construction.
Final Scoop
Bolanle didn’t need millions to start.
Just curiosity. Conviction. And one beautiful painting.
Now, she owns slices of history, and they’re working for her.
So if you're looking for new ways to invest…
If you want beauty and returns…
If you’re tired of jumping from charts to charts…
Try art.
Start small.
Buy what speaks.
And hold like it’s a family heirloom.
That’s how wealth becomes timeless.
That’s your Sunday Rice.
Stay active.
By all means.
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Until next week,
Lucky Mark
@ActiveMeans
🚨Disclaimer: All content shared is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice or investment recommendations.
📍It’s essential to do your own research and consider your risk tolerance before making any investment decision.