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The Standard-Bearers of
African Art Authentication.
The Atsur Verified Alliance (AVA) is a selective network of institutions, professionals, and collectors who uphold the highest standards of provenance, authentication, and ethical trade in African art. Membership is earned, not purchased.
What Is AVA
A Network Built on
Earned Trust.
The Atsur Verified Alliance brings together the institutions, verifiers, collectors, and cultural partners who are actively shaping the future of African art's global standing. Every AVA member has met our standards — professionally vetted, ethically committed, and publicly accountable.
AVA membership signals to the global market that an institution or individual operates at the highest level of integrity in African art authentication and trade.
""AVA is not a directory. It is a declaration of standards — and a community that holds those standards together.""
— Adaobi Orajiaku, Co-Founder & CEO
The Four Programmes
Four Ways to Join the Alliance.
Programme 01
AVA Cultural Partners
By ApplicationAVA Cultural Partners are established institutions — galleries, cultural foundations, museums, government arts bodies, and heritage organisations — that share Atsur's mission to preserve, authenticate, and elevate African art in the global market.
Partners gain access to Atsur's full verification infrastructure for their collections, a co-branded partnership seal, joint programmes, and listing in the AVA Partner Directory — signalling to international buyers and institutions that their catalogued works meet the highest standards of provenance.
Who qualifies:
- National and regional galleries, museums, and heritage institutions
- Cultural foundations and government arts bodies across Africa and the diaspora
- Art fair organisers and internationally recognised exhibition bodies
Programme 02
AVA Certified Verifiers
By AssessmentAVA Certified Verifiers are the individuals authorised to conduct physical and provenance-based verification of African artworks on behalf of Atsur. They are art historians, authenticators, conservators, and cultural experts who have completed Atsur's certification programme and are bound by its Code of Ethics.
Certification is not honorary — it requires a demonstrated track record, successful assessment, and ongoing compliance. Certified Verifiers are listed publicly in the AVA Verifier Registry, giving buyers and institutions confidence in every certificate they sign.
What certification includes:
- Atsur Certification Training — physical and digital verification methodology
- Practical assessment on a supervised batch of artworks
- Listing in the public AVA Verifier Registry with your specialisation and region
- Annual renewal — ethics review and continued professional development
Programme 03
AVA Collector Network
By InvitationThe AVA Collector Network is a private, invitation-only community for serious collectors of African art who are committed to ethical acquisition and verifiable provenance. Network members receive privileged access to Atsur-verified works, private dealroom invitations, and exclusive market intelligence on African art.
For collectors, AVA membership resolves the single greatest barrier to building a serious African art collection: confidence. Every work presented to an AVA Collector carries documented provenance, AI-verified authenticity, and a blockchain record that travels with the piece permanently.
Network members receive:
- Early access to newly verified works from AVA-affiliated artists and galleries
- Private dealroom invitations from AVA-verified brokers
- Quarterly African art market intelligence briefings
- Access to collection auditing and valuation services
Programme 04
AVA Institutional Partners
By AgreementAVA Institutional Partners are organisations whose mandates intersect with African art preservation, cultural heritage, or creative economy development — including development finance institutions, international foundations, academic bodies, and policy organisations.
Institutional Partnerships are bespoke arrangements designed around mutual strategic objectives. They may include co-branded research programmes, joint authentication initiatives, capacity-building collaborations, or data-sharing agreements that advance the integrity of the African art market.
Current institutional relationships include:
- Nigeria's National Gallery of Art — founding institutional partner
- Carnegie Mellon University — research and technology partnership
- NBA Triple Double Accelerator — innovation and growth partnership
The AVA Charter
Four Principles. One Standard.
Every AVA member — regardless of programme — is bound by these principles. They are not aspirational. They are the baseline.
Integrity of Record
All provenance and ownership data submitted through Atsur must be accurate, complete, and verifiable. Misrepresentation of any kind is grounds for immediate revocation of membership.
Artist-First Accountability
AVA members commit to practices that respect the authorship, cultural context, and economic rights of the artists whose works pass through their hands. African artists are not commodities.
Transparency of Transaction
All transactions conducted through Atsur Dealrooms must reflect true sale prices and parties. Price manipulation, undisclosed third parties, and concealed conflicts of interest are prohibited.
Preservation of Legacy
AVA members recognise that African art carries cultural, historical, and civilisational weight beyond its market value. Every act of authentication is also an act of preservation.
Join the Alliance
The Standard Is Being Set.
Be Among Those Who Set It.
Whether you are a gallery, a verifier, a collector, or an institution — if you hold African art to the same standard we do, there is a place for you in the Atsur Verified Alliance.