WATER BOY, 24 in x 23 inches, 2014, Acrylic painting on Canvas, Kwesi Botchway, Accra, Ghana, Africa

Kwesi Botchway’s painting WATER BOY is for sale and available, plus the artist accepts commissions to create painted portraits from your favorite selfie or photograph. Arrangements can be made from anywhere in the world via the services provided by Portraits Africa.

The faces and figures dripping with water are fun and symbolic imagery unique to African artists in countries such as Ghana.

In the above portrait, the artist represented by Portraits Africa is Kwakwa Anthony Junior, also of Ghana, and the wetness may be a dousing of milk or perhaps soapy water.

Johannesburg, South Africa artist Eric Sher paints the faces in his Deviation from Reality Series with drips, runs, brushstrokes and lines to create a specific mood or expression on his subjects faces.

Eric Sher, Johannesburg, South Africa. Deviation from Reality Series

In the painting THE SHOW MAN, Kwesi Botchway’s startling and unusual portrait, we may imagine that it represents the essence of the an outstanding personality, also hinted by the title.

THE SHOW MAN, 43 in x 45 inches, 2014, Acrylic painting on canvas, Kwesi Botchway, Accra, Ghana, Africa

In addition to the selected works by the five artists featured here, you’ll find expressive and out of the ordinary portrait art by dozens of artists across Africa also represented by Portraits Africa view their portfolios here and find out how to commission a portrait here.

Frank Edwards, 58 cm x 43 cm, 2015, Pencil on Paper, Alexander Peter, Abuja, Nigeria, Africa

This portrait of Frank Edwards has a more subtle expressiveness rendered with graphite pencil by Nigerian artist Alexander Peter. While the group of boys, a graphite pencil artwork by Nicholas Odhiamba Mboya of Kenya, makes us wonder what their attention is focuses on or perhaps they are simply expressing joy.

Vulnerable Wealth Series, 62 cm x 95 cm. 2015, Pencil on cover board  Nicholas Odhiamabo Mboya, Kenya, Africa

As contemporary African art becomes more visible and important in the world art market, now is the time to get your own unique work from emerging and recognized artists represented by Portraits Africa. Review the portfolios of 28 African artists from Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon here.