GALLERY AFRIQUE · FRAMING

 

 

Every detail
considered.
Every print
protected.

 

 

Conservation-grade fine art framing, produced in-house at our Johannesburg East studio. We frame to Fine Art Trade Guild Level 2 standards — the benchmark used by the world's leading fine art institutions — so your work is preserved exactly as the artist intended, for generations.

 

 

 

 

IN-HOUSE FRAMING STUDIO

 

 

 

 

The right frame doesn't compete with the work. It completes it.

At Gallery Afrique, framing is not an afterthought — it is part of the same commitment to quality that governs every stage of how we produce and present the work.

 

Our in-house framing studio is located within our private gallery and studio complex in Johannesburg East, where every frame is built and fitted by trained specialists with a keen eye for detail and craftsmanship.

 

We offer free consultations to ensure the final result matches your space, your style, and your budget. Works arrive ready to hang — no additional materials, fittings, or guesswork required.

 

For international patrons, framed works can be shipped to most destinations. Where shipping framed works is impractical, we offer worldwide delivery of rolled prints in protective art tubes — a safe and cost-effective alternative that allows framing to be completed locally to your own specification.

 

WHAT SETS OUR FRAMING APART

I

 

CONSERVATION STANDARD

 

Framed to Fine Art Trade Guild Level 2 all processes fully reversible within 20 years. The same standard used by leading fine art institutions worldwide.

 

III

 

FSC-CERTIFIED TIMBER

 

All wooden frames are made from FSC-certified sustainably harvested Wawa (Triplochiton scleroxylon) — light, beautiful, knot-free, and responsibly sourced.

 

V

 

READY TO HANG

 

Every framed work arrives complete — fitted, finished, and ready for the wall it belongs to. No assembly. No additional hardware required.

 

 

II

 

ARTGLASS AR 70

 

Imported anti-reflective museum glazing that reduces reflections to under 1%, with 70% UV protection. You see the art — nothing else

 

IV

 

FREE CONSULTATION

 

We discuss your space, your style, and your budget before a single nail is cut. Framing decisions are made with you, not for you.

 

 

VI

 

ARTWORK ALWAYS REMOVABLE

 

Conservation framing means your print can be returned to its unframed state at any point within 20 years. The art is protected, never compromised.

 

MUSEUM GLAZING

 

Artglass AR 70™ — you will see the difference.

 

Standard framing glass reflects. It competes with the work, creating glare across the tonal range you paid to see. At Gallery Afrique, we use Artglass AR 70™ — imported anti-reflective museum glazing that reduces unwanted reflections to less than 1%. The result is a viewing experience that feels closer to looking at an unglazed print than through glass at all.

 

Artglass AR 70™ has a smooth, water-white substrate that allows the finest tonal detail to emerge unaltered — the subtle gradations, the deep blacks, the luminous highlights that define the work are preserved exactly as the artist intended. Nothing is lost. Nothing is distorted.

 

It also provides 70% UV protection, guarding your investment against the primary cause of photographic print degradation in displayed works over time.

ARTGLASS AR 70™ AT A GLANCE

<1%

REFLECTIVITY

70%

UV PROTECTION

PAT

ISO 18916 CERTIFIED

 

WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOUR INVESTMENT

 

Artglass AR 70™ passes the Photographic Activity Test (PAT) to ISO 18916 — the international standard for materials in direct or indirect contact with photographic materials. This means the glazing itself will not chemically interact with or degrade your print over time. It is the same standard required for archival framing in museum and institutional collections worldwide.

FINE ART TRADE GUILD STANDARDS

 

We frame to the standard that institutions require.

OUR PRIMARY STANDARD

 

Level 2 — Conservation Framing

 

Formerly known as Conservation Framing Level

 

High-level protection using conservation-quality materials and methods. All processes are fully reversible — your artwork can be returned to its exact pre-framing state at any point within 20 years.

Protection from physical and mechanical damage

Protection from airborne pollution and acid migration

Fully reversible — no permanent contact with the artwork

Artglass AR 70™ museum glazing as standard

FSC-certified timber mouldings

Certificates of Authenticity preserved and stored

Recommended for: all limited edition prints, original works, and any artwork intended for long-term preservation or investment.

 

 

 

 

 

ALSO AVAILABLE

 

Level 3 — Mid-Level Framing

 

Formerly known as Commended Level

 

Good-quality materials and methods providing moderate protection from physical damage, airborne pollution, and acid migration. Visually enhances the work and is suited to decorative and open edition pieces where long-term conservation is less critical.

 

Wider choice of mountboard colours and finishes

Dry mounting option available where appropriate

Processes not required to be fully reversible

Target display life of five years in normal conditions

 

Recommended for: open edition décor prints and replaceable artwork of limited commercial value. Not recommended for limited edition or original works

 

SUSTAINABLE FRAMING MATERIALS

 

Frames sourced as consciously as the prints they hold.

 

All wooden frames used by Gallery Afrique are produced from Triplochiton scleroxylon — commonly known as Wawa or Obeche — sustainably imported from certified plantations in West Africa. It is a species ideally suited to fine art framing: light, dimensionally stable, knot-free, and beautiful in finish.

 

Our frame suppliers carry FSC™ (Forest Stewardship Council) certification, which independently verifies that all timber originates from responsibly managed forests. The FSC logo on a wood product is internationally recognised assurance of sustainable sourcing — it is the same standard required by galleries, museums, and conservation bodies worldwide.

FSC™ FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL

 

The FSC logo on a wood or wood-based product is your assurance that it is made with, or contains, wood that comes from FSC-certified forests or from post-consumer waste. Our frame suppliers hold FSC Controlled Wood certification, and sustainable harvesting is a non-negotiable requirement of our supply chain.

This certification also forms part of our broader sustainability commitment as an eco-conscious gallery. Canvas stretcher bars are produced from the same FSC-certified Wawa timber — light, strong, and ideal for constructing stable expansion frames and mouldings.

 

 

View our full Sustainability Policy →