The founder of Undiscovered Canvas and former advisor to President Emmanuel Macron on the Conseil Présidentiel pour Afrique, continues her mission to bridge the gap between Africa and France with her new concept store in the Côte d’Azur.
The creative economy is one of the most rapidly growing global sectors, currently dominated by North America and Europe. Together, they account for 49 percent of the world’s cultural exports. In comparison, Africa accounts for only 1 percent of cultural exports. When Nomaza Nongqunga-Coupez moved to France from South Africa in 2009, she realised early on that African creatives (especially in the visual art sector) were not adequately represented in galleries or museums. While art, culture, and tourism, is France’s primary market, Coupez was inspired to use cross-cultural understanding as a vehicle to educate, empower, and improve the economic position of young African artists.
Using art as a tool to bring the African continent to France, Coupez founded her company, Undiscovered Canvas in 2017 to help young African artists gain visibility on the European market, quickly becoming the gateway to the young and diversified cultural mosaic of Africa, and the first South African woman in the French Riviera to create a residency program that aims to promote cross-cultural education and investment in the African arts. On average, Coupez’s visual artists have seen their works grow by a hundred percent in value each year.
At her new concept store in Antibes, the founder showcases carefully curated works by African artists and creatives, such as Lulama Wolf, Zandile Tshabalala, Mookho Ntho, Phumzile Buthelezi, Teresa Kutala Firmino, and Phila Hillie. Located on Boulevard D’Aguillon (Billionaire’s Quay), inside the old town next to the famous Picasso Museum, the concept store also includes a variety of rare fashion and jewellery that are ethically sourced, and inspired by the richly diverse cultural heritage of the motherland.