By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — For more than 30 years, Luke Angel, founder of African Angel Art Gallery, has been traveling from his home in Johannesburg, South Africa, to his second home in Los Angeles to sell what he describes as some of the “best African art in the world.”
Over the years, African Angel Art Gallery, located on West Washington Boulevard for the last eight years after two decades in a previous location, has become a community art hub with a huge and enthusiastic African American clientele from Ladera Heights, View Park, Baldwin Hills, Inglewood and Leimert Park. Whenever it’s open, Angel said the showroom is frequently filled with long-time art enthusiasts, who have been patronizing the site for decades.
“I usually see people through word of mouth and by appointment,” said Angel, who spends three to four months in Los Angeles selling art before returning to his native Africa to collect additional pieces. “Our clients have an eye for art. We collect both traditional and contemporized African art from every region on the African continent. More than 30 countries are represented. I drive my truck all over Africa to get art from the source.”
Angel, 56, began his journey into the art world when he was in his 20s.
“At that time, I had people in Zimbabwe who would make wooden dolls,” said Angel, who also owns African Angel Tours, a travel company that conducts innovative and tailored tours across the African continent. “We modernized it and sold it all around the world. I was on a plane to Europe almost every month. Then I was invited to do a trade show at Grand Central Station with the dolls. It went well so I decided on America. I’ve never looked back and I never went back to Europe.”
Angel said the African-American community’s love of African art is “On another level.”
“That was a big breakthrough for me,” he said. “Here, in L.A., I used to take the art to the African Marketplace. I did it for about 20 years. That’s how I made my name and broke into the community.
As a white South African, I was met with a lot of hostility. I was coming during the changeover of South Africa. Initially, it was mixed with doubt and ambiguity. People were skeptical of me. It took a long time, but luckily, through music and art, I broke down barriers.”
After being closed for several months, Angel recently returned from Johannesburg, where he still lives, to host a gallery grand opening that included a community drum circle.
The gallery, located in a 2,000-square-foot, high-ceiling warehouse, will be open through October. It will then close for several months while Angel returns to Africa to acquire more art.
At his recent reopening, throngs of clientele filled the location, happy to get a glimpse at some new pieces.
Ayo Betts of Carson, who has “no idea” how many pieces of art she’s bought from Angel, “But it’s a lot,” has been following Luke Angel since the 90s.
“It’s like an addiction with me,” she said. “There is a vibration in Luke’s environment. I come here because of the artifacts and their relationship to the Motherland. This is the closest you can get to Africa. He brings the community in with his knowledge.”
Debbie, who declined to give her last name, has known Angel for 30 years and has bought “about 10 pieces” of art.
“The art that Luke brings is magnificent,” she said. “He helps to bring the art to life because he’s such a friendly, informative good guy.”
During the opening, community members and art enthusiasts were able to shop the gallery’s exclusive collection of authentic African paintings, each reflecting the myriad of styles that encapsulate the spirit and creativity of the continent.
Angel will host another event, ‘Wine, Dine & Drum,’ at 6 p.m. Sept. 7.
From the kinetic energy of Namji Tribe art, and the vivid storytelling of Zulu Tribe art, to the rich symbolism of Bakota art, each piece in Angel’s collection offers a visual exploration of Africa’s artistic landscape.
Angel believes that when someone buys a painting, “They are investing in a piece of African culture and supporting the creative traditions that make the works of art possible.”
Angel recently sat down to talk about African Angel Art and African Angel Tours.
DD: How long have you been closed?
LA: We were closed all of winter. I reopened about a month ago.
DD: Talk about what people will see when visiting the gallery.
LA: When people walk in here they start shaking. They will see 4,000 items of art from all over the continent. There are no manufactured goods. It’s all authentic, from contemporary to traditional. We pay cash for our goods in Africa. There are no consignments. We are straight up.
DD: Why do you do what you do?
LA: I believe the people who cause the pain can be the ones who can help fix or take away the pain.
DD: You’re talking about what happened during apartheid in South Africa?
LA: Yes.
DD: What is art to you?
LA: African art is the source of all art. All art forms are rooted in the simplicity of Africa. It’s the base, the essence. Traditional art and contemporary African art. We don’t sell a lot of paintings. We sell stone sculptures from Zimbabwe — most of our stock. We have tribal pieces from West Africa and Central Congo. Much of the art is functional and reflects the culture, nations and tribes.
DD: What is special about African art?
LA: I find it’s so expressive and so passionate. The bottom line is it’s all hand made. No machinery was used. Everything is different. No two pieces are the same at the gallery.
DD: You’ve said that you and your team have dedicated your lives to dismantling racial myths, borders and fears.
LA: My degree is in political science and in international relations. That’s why I do cultural heritage tours. I want to share that. We do that through our art and our tours. Being a white South African, I’m trying to heal the past. I try to dismantle racial myths. There is a word, Ubuntu, which means “I exist because you exist. What happens to you affects me.” It’s the center of our philosophy of art and travel. Let’s get back to helping each other.
DD: Is there a region where you get most of the art?
LA: Traditional art is from West Africa. The stonework is from Southern Africa. The jewelry, Zulu jewelry is from South Africa. The masks and statues are from West Africa. You can shop by tribe.
DD: Tell me about African Angel Tours.
LA: I started doing tours 25 years ago to South Africa only. Now I service the whole African continent. The travel was born out of the art. I enjoy sharing the African continent. I love America. I love California. It’s my second home. I was called to build a bridge between America and Africa.
DD: What kinds of tours are available?
LA: We do cultural heritage tours. We started with Santa Monica College to study abroad. We work with colleges from the east and west coasts. It’s an academic program. Studying abroad is very rewarding. We work with college and high school students.
DD: What is your focus?
LA: The whole focus of the travel company has been to go beyond the bus window and have a real in-depth experience. We customize and do private tours. We do families and church groups. The whole focus was to meet people in the townships — poverty-stricken communities. We do music and history tours by taking people through the history of South Africa and apartheid.
DD: What does art do for you?
LA: It brings me joy. I have the most beautiful art in the world. Nothing vaguely comes close. There is no other level of creativity with meaning and profound history. It’s very special.
African Angel Art Gallery is located at 5428 W Washington Blvd., Building 1, Los Angeles 90016. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Information: 310 869-4765.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
