WE HAVE REOPENED!
LOCATION
New York, NY 10013
PHONE
+1 212-838-3650
HOURS
Mon-Sat
10:30 - 6:00
Sun
11:30 - 4:00
COVID-19
ARTIST
SUPPORT
We do not know when we will be able to return to Zimbabwe to purchase more artwork from our Shona artists. The Covid-19 spread and shutdowns have made an already difficult food supply situation worse. We are doing what we can by arranging food donations to our artists. With the help of Charles Chare on the ground in Zim, we have been able to send five truckloads of food to communities in Zimbabwe. This will be an ongoing effort so please be in touch if you would like to get involved.
ANTIQUE ART
Hemingway Gallery regards antique African art as the best artistic expression of aesthetic beauty and storytelling throughout the known history of art. Aside from artistic taste, African art accrues value in different ways than other genres, including use in ceremonial settings as well as age. 50 years is regarded as old or antique when it comes to wood masks and totems. Hemingway Gallery provides both authoritative insight and context into each artifact in the collection, possessing and readily exhibiting direct, intimate knowledge of the source and pedigree. The goal is to preserve and curate one-of-a-kind artifacts of importance while creating a platform for the acquisition of spectacular unique pieces within financial reach.
SHONA SCULPTURE
Stone sculpture in Zimbabwe, dating from 1956 until today, is the best-known manifestation of African contemporary art. Northern Zimbabwe has uniquely large amounts of carvable stone. The stone was so important to the people that the name ‘Shona’ is derived from a word in their native language that means ‘house of stone.’ There is no technical artistic training in Shona sculpture. Sculpting skills are passed down through families and the large and hard stones are carved with only a hammer and chisel. Hemingway Gallery purchases this sculpture directly from the Shona artists in Zimbabwe and has imported the monumental stone artwork since the early 1980s. These fine modern sculptures are unparalleled in both carving skill and design. Hemingway holds long-standing relationships with artists like Bywell Sango, Sylvester Mubayi, Witness Bonjisi and many more.
DECORATIVE ART
Hemingway Gallery only purchases pieces from artists or owners that we approve of historically and aesthetically. These might include artworks that have been newly created and are currently being used in ceremonies. We place high value in these pieces, despite their lack of age and antiquity, regarding them as real even though they are not old. They are created for use by the people and not made for the tourist trade. Newly produced African art can be gorgeous and we value these pieces as well. This includes contemporary aesthetics from the continent that may not necessarily look traditionally ‘African’. Our goal is to represent design in Africa that goes beyond the idea of ‘tribal’ as the styles of emerging artists are ever evolving.
FURNITURE & HOME
Hemingway Gallery and Safaris serves as an unequaled reliable ethical source for creative designers and their clients. We value partnerships with individuals who are open to making a statement with their artistic and historic artifact design choices. Our clients are among the most discerning curators of fine art and notable objects in the world. 45 years of experience allows us to provide creative hands-on collaboration in assessing the critical acquisition and design decisions of the client. We do this by considering indoor/ outdoor space, other works of art in the vicinity, lighting, and the client’s preferences and goals. We engage with each client to create experiences, making the process less transactional and more relationship oriented. The diaspora of Africa and the safari-home aesthetic can be applied to any space to brilliantly accentuate home lifestyle.
HEMINGWAY SAFARIS
The gallery works side by side with Hemingway Photographic Safaris doing amazing animal conservation work while collecting art in the field. Hemingway Safaris runs six trips a year to countries all over Africa. Travel with us. The safaris can change your life.
Brian Gaisford of Hemingway Gallery and Safaris has seen it all from Timbuktu to Cape Town. He has collected ancient art in the Bandigare Cliffs of Mali and sat with the Mountain Gorillas and Bonobos in the jungles of the Congo. Each piece in Hemingway Gallery represents one of these adventures.
Whether traveling luxuriously or on a budget, Hemingway Safaris can design an experience with a unique personal touch. We run both pre-set group itineraries and custom designed trips throughout Africa. There are no other safari companies in NYC where you can find this level of experience or accessibility.