In a world where social impact and sustainable practices are top priorities, art has emerged as a unique and potent catalyst for change. More than ever, artists use their work to address pressing global issues—from environmental conservation to cultural preservation. Collectors and impact investors are realising that art is not just an asset of aesthetic and financial value but a tool for shaping a better future.
Imagine purchasing a painting that doesn’t just grace your wall but also funds conservation efforts, inspires climate justice activists or supports skills for sustainable development. This is the new face of art as an impact investment. Below are ten compelling examples of the use of art as a force for societal good, creating opportunities for collectors, art enthusiasts, and investors alike.
Art as Environmental Activism
Ina-Maria Shikongo
Namibian artist Ina-Maria Shikongo uses her work to raise awareness about climate justice and the fight against colonialism’s environmental legacy. Shikongo’s art often challenges the exploitative relationships between Africa and the West, emphasising the impact of environmental degradation on indigenous communities. By investing in her art, collectors amplify the voices advocating for environmental preservation and social justice.
Shikongo is an active member of Fridays For Future (initiated by Greta Thunberg in 2018). Her participation in activism-driven exhibitions, such as at The New Institute, showcases her as a leading figure merging art with eco-activism.
Alioune Diagne: Addressing the Impact of Illegal Fishing
Senegalese artist Alioune Diagne draws attention to illegal industrial fishing off the coast of Senegal, a practice that devastates the livelihoods of local fishers and can negatively affect Senegal’s food security in the longer term. Diagne’s art sheds light on the environmental and economic repercussions of overfishing. It explores the themes of life below water (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) 14) and responsible consumption (UN SDG 12).
Diagne’s impactful work was prominently displayed at the 2022 Dakar Biennale, making it another artwork focused on environmental justice.
Another artist highlighting the same theme is Senegalese-Mauritanian artist and director Hamedine Kane, who has worked with ClientEarth, a group of lawyers and policy experts.
Anina Major: Championing Caribbean Environmental Issues
Bahamian artist Anina Major creates ceramic sculptures that evoke the fragile balance between human activity and natural ecosystems in the Caribbean. By focusing on environmental issues like coastal erosion and rising sea levels, Major’s art acts as a call to action. Collectors of her work contribute to awareness about the existential threats facing Caribbean islands due to climate change.
Major’s role in Caribbean environmental art makes her work a valuable acquisition for those passionate about both culture and climate advocacy.
Victor Ehikhamenor: Reclaiming African Spirituality
In his vibrant and immersive pieces, Victor Ehikhamenor, a Nigerian multimedia artist, explores the intersection of African spirituality and Western religion. His work critiques the exploitation of African cultural heritage, particularly the looting of Benin bronzes. By collecting Ehikhamenor’s art, investors contribute to a broader conversation about the duplicity in the propagation of Christianity and the relegation of other forms of worship.
In recognition of his activism, St Paul’s Cathedral in London commissioned Ehikhamenor to create a new artwork to commemorate the 125th anniversary of British forces’ notorious attack on the Kingdom of Benin and the subsequent unceremonious looting of the Benin Bronzes and encourage reflection on the horrors of the punitive exhibition and the turbulent narratives surrounding that history.
Ehikhamenor’s influence in highlighting Bini culture makes his work an investment in both African culture and social justice.
Supporting Wildlife Conservation Through Art
South African artist Olivie Keck intertwines art with activism by donating proceeds from her art sales to wildlife conservation. Her digital works, vibrant and whimsical, explore the fragile relationship between humans and nature. Proceeds from her artwork, such as those dedicated to Wildlife Asia, directly support endangered “big cat” conservation.
Keck’s collaboration with conservation organisations makes her art an excellent opportunity for eco-conscious collectors to make a tangible environmental impact.
Zimbabwean artist Lin Barrie brings attention to conservation efforts for the African Wild Dog, also known as the Painted Hunting Dog, an endangered species and the second most endangered carnivore species in Africa after the Ethiopian Wolf. Painted Wolf Wines features her art of African Wild Dogs on the labels of some of their wines, and the wine producer supports several beneficiaries in conservation.
Circular Economy and Cultural Infrastructure
Ibrahim Mahama
Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama’s practice not only addresses sustainability through his use of found materials but also fosters the creation of cultural infrastructure in his home city of Tamale. By using objects with deep historical and labour significance, Mahama brings attention to Ghana’s industrial past. His success has allowed him to build community spaces, such as art studios and educational residencies, further contributing to the local creative economy.
Mahama’s work exemplifies a double-layered impact—sustainability in art and tangible social contributions to his community.
Recycling and Cultural Commentary
Brazilian artist Clarissa Tossin uses recycled materials to create works that comment on globalisation, waste, and the exploitation of natural resources. Her sculptures, often made from everyday discarded items, raise questions about human consumption and its environmental toll. Tossin’s art provides a platform for collectors interested in cultural critique and eco-conscious investment.
Similarly, Zimbabwean sculptor Zacharaha Magasa fabricates works using discarded tyres due to rubber being the most prevalent because of its potency and association with slavery and oppression both in Africa and around the globe. Where the tyres depict roads, it is to highlight and invoke how migration, primarily for mining, was a hallmark of late 19th and early 20th century Southern Africa.
Magasa and Tossin’s art addresses themes that resonate with the circular economy, making their work a meaningful investment in sustainability.
Driving cultural exchange
The Diriyah Biennale Foundation was established in 2020 by the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia. The Kingdom only initiated this ministry in 2018. Inspired by the changes taking place in the Kingdom since 2016, the Foundation has hosted a Contemporary Arts Biennale and an Islamic Arts Biennale, showcasing some of the world’s leading artists, driving cultural exchange between the Kingdom and international communities, promoting dialogue and understanding, and further establishing Saudi Arabia as an important cultural centre.
The Islamic Arts Biennale, the first of its kind, extended its dates by a month, given its success in exposing various communities outside those more familiar with travel to Jeddah for Hajj.l Such communities included visitors to the city for the Formula One race and regular biennale visitors, including those visiting the neighbouring UAE for the Sharjah Biennale.
Project Aikido is a non-profit organisation and a collaboration between businessman and art collector Nana Sao, The Sao Foundation and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair with the objective of bringing African art and music to Burning Man and providing a platform for future African art development within the Burning Man community, which until the Project Aikido intervention, had no Africa representation.
In 2022, South African artist Usha Seejarim’s “Resurrecting the Clothes Peg” was the first African art installation created entirely in Africa to be displayed on the open playa in Burning Man history. In 2024, Project Aikido selected eight of the 100 Globes commissioned by charity The World Reimagined to feature at Burning Man. Artists created the sculptures to bring to life the reality and impact of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and invite the public to engage with the dialogue and actions of making racial justice a reality.
Art Dealers: Changing practices and leveraging technology to contribute to sustainability
Art dealers, galleries, and auction houses are also adopting sustainable practices, making them crucial supporters of impact investing in art. They are working towards reducing their carbon footprint by integrating greener shipping methods like sea freight over air freight, using renewable energy, and reducing single-use plastics. Some art fairs and dealers also leverage technology to reduce the need for air travel while adopting circular economy principles by repurposing exhibition materials.
Supporting galleries and art fairs that prioritise sustainability aligns with eco-conscious values. It enhances the art world’s overall impact on the environment.
Art as Therapy: Healing Communities
Impact investors increasingly recognise the benefits of funding art therapy programs, particularly in underprivileged communities or rehabilitation centres. These programs offer emotional healing through creative expression, with many participants creating art that later enters public markets, sustaining the initiative financially.
According to the World Health Organisation, the pandemic triggered a 25% increase in depression and anxiety worldwide. Making art in the presence of a licensed therapist can be a mindful, low-tech way of working through mental health challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Investing in this growing area can support the creation of new jobs and improve productivity, which is one of its benefits, creating both a social and financial return on investment.
Social Impact Bonds
Like green and blue bonds, which focus on climate and natural systems and oceans and water systems, respectively, orange bonds concentrate on the cultural and creative sectors. Bancóldex, a development financial institution in Colombia, was the first bank in the world to issue an orange bond at the end of 2018. The bond issuance aimed to support the creative sector’s development, maximising its economic impact and strengthening the creative industries.
“The orange bonds became a positive message of support, backing and credibility for an industry not traditionally served by the financial system. This innovative financing tool is an instrument that complements and aligns with public policy, led by a development bank that bets on, creates and believes in creativity and talent,” remarked Juliana Martínez Hernández, Head of Creative Economy at Bancóldex.
Public Art and Urban Revitalisation
Investing in public art projects can lead to the revitalisation of urban spaces. Public sculptures, murals, and installations contribute to the cultural vibrancy of a city, increasing property values and attracting tourism. Collectors who support public art contribute to the aesthetic improvement of communities and see financial benefits as these areas gain desirability.
Urban areas with a robust public art presence have seen property values rise by 15-20%, making public art an excellent investment for real estate and cultural investors.
Art with Impact: Investment with a Greater Purpose
Art’s role as an impact investment is growing, creating opportunities for those looking to make a difference while receiving financial returns. The examples above show how art can be a powerful vehicle for change from environmental activism to cultural preservation.
So, the question remains: How will your next art investment impact the world?