TEFAF Maastricht 2026
Bernard de Grunne will present a unique group of sculptures from the Ubangi artistic sphere, which encompasses northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, eastern Central African Republic, and the southern margins of South Sudan, forming a cultural region organized around the Ubangi River and its tributaries.
The art of the Ubangi region, distinguished by remarkable creativity and powerful stylistic expressions, offers a fascinating—and still insufficiently studied—artistic landscapes of Central Africa. Its exceptional stylistic richness and striking formal diversity, the result of some of the region’s most inventive traditions, will be brought to light through a group of works of a quality rarely assembled within a single exhibition. Particular attention will be given to the Zandé and to the pivotal role played by artists within their societies, whose creativity shaped distinctive aesthetic canons and fostered dynamic exchanges across the region. A new catalogue will be published on this occasion, produced in collaboration with Jan-Lodewijk Grootaers, whose research has made a major contribution to the study of Ubangi arts.
TEFAF Maastricht is widely regarded as the world’s premier fair for fine art, antiques, and design, bringing together 7,000 years of art history under one roof. Featuring over 260 prestigious dealers from some 20 countries, TEFAF Maastricht is a showcase for the finest art works currently on the market. Alongside the traditional areas of Old Master paintings, antiques, and classical antiquities that cover approximately half of the fair, you can also find modern and contemporary art, photography, jewelry, 20th century design, and works on paper.