LONDON, United Kingdom / – Hannah O’Leary, former Senior Vice President and Head of Modern & Contemporary African Art at Sotheby’s, has launched Hannah O’Leary Fine Art (HOLFA) (https://www.HOLFA.co.uk/), an independent, London-based firm offering collectors a new way to buy and sell African art. HOLFA specializes in secondary-market private sales of modern and contemporary African art, complemented by advisory and auction advice for private collectors, estates and institutions.
Debut at 1-54 London
HOLFA makes its public debut at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London from 15 to 18 October as part of 1-54 Presents. O’Leary will present works by seven leading African modernists: Skunder Boghossian (Ethiopia), Gerard Sekoto (South Africa), Sam Ntiro (Tanzania), Papa Ibra Tall (Senegal), Uzo Egonu (Nigeria), Kofi Antubam (Ghana) and Bertina Lopes (Mozambique).
“These are among the most significant African artists of the twentieth century — figures who engaged with local independence movements, Pan-Africanism and global modernism, and whose work deserves to be considered alongside that of their international peers,” said O’Leary. “And yet, remarkably, for several of them this will be the first time their work has been shown at an international art fair. It tells you how much remains to be done to bring these masters the recognition they deserve.”
Two decades building the international market
Over two decades, O’Leary has played a leading role in building the international market for modern and contemporary African art. She co-founded the African art auctions at Bonhams in 2006 and, following an international search in 2016, was recruited by Sotheby’s to establish and lead its Modern & Contemporary African Art department. During her tenure, she set more than 200 world auction records for African artists and oversaw the highest-grossing auctions of contemporary African art ever held. Throughout, she worked closely with collectors, artists, academics and institutions to build greater international recognition for artists whose historical importance had not always been reflected in the market.
“Most twentieth-century African art still changes hands at auction. What collectors have lacked is independent advice from someone who knows the whole continent, not just a single national market – and a dedicated, discreet way to buy and sell privately. That is what HOLFA offers.”
What HOLFA offers
HOLFA focuses on the secondary market: works already in private collections, estates and institutional holdings, often outside the primary gallery system. Private sales sit at the heart of the firm, supported by advisory services across the full collector lifecycle:
Private sales: discreet, off-market sales and acquisitions of museum-quality works, with access to material rarely seen on the open market.
Auction advice: guidance on whether, when and where to sell or bid, and on negotiating terms with auction houses.
Collection advisory: support for collectors, family offices, trusts and estates on acquisition strategy, deaccessioning, collection management, valuations, international museum loans and legacy planning.
Institutional advisory: market intelligence, collection strategy and acquisition support for museums and foundations.
Global access: introductions for African collectors to international art and artists through O’Leary’s network.
An evolving market
O’Leary’s auction career ran in parallel with Africa’s growing presence in the global art market, and she has seen a significant shift in how African art is collected, exhibited and traded internationally. Collectors across Africa and the diaspora have assembled outstanding collections and increasingly require the advisory services long established in Europe and the United States, but with genuine depth in this field. A new generation of collectors is also entering the market at a high level.