We love to hear about the African art and culture enriching people’s lives internationally. Here’s a collection of shows open this week around the world.

A Dutch art detective has returned a rare Roman statue that was considered one of France’s most important treasures to the museum from which it was stolen nearly 50 years ago.

South Africa’s pig prodigy, Pigcasso, is binging home the bacon after selling a painting for more than R400 000.

You can see Joni-Leigh Doran’s exhibition – which highlights the relationship between horses and humans – at La Galleria in the new year.

Razia Myers will showcase pieces informed and inspired by the ‘permanence of bedrock and the unbridled ocean’ in an exhibition in Cape Town.

The 100 Beautiful Baskets exhibition will kick-start the V&A Waterfront’s festive celebrations this November.

Take a look at the South African artist, Strijdom van der Merwe’s simple but impressive optical illusion titled ‘Staircase to Heaven’.

Albanian artist, Kryemadhi uses coffee like watercolour paints, composing portraits with a rich, brown patina

For South African galleries worth their grit, this is an important weekend, as it sees both Frieze and 1-54 art fairs open their doors in London.

Next week sees ‘Dance to the music of love’ go under the hammer, sale estimate: £700,000-1,000,000. The landmark Irma Stern painting comes to Bonhams Modern & Contemporary African Art. 12 Oct 2021, starting at 14:00 BST.

Muhammad Ali hoped to use his drawing of South Africa to speak out against apartheid in Namibia and South Africa.

The hand-painted fridge by Sicilian artists has triggered a bidding war that could see it sell for more than the R1.3 million price.

Would you pay for a partially destroyed piece of art? This piece was destroyed by Banksy shortly after it sold for millions in 2018 and it’s going under the hammer again.

A chosen group of 40 young design mavens will have the opportunity to showcase their work on the Design Indaba platform next year.

The artist, Willem Pretorius, believes that a ‘bergie’ stole his painting worth R100k after mistaking it for a television.

Afghan activist Omaid Sharifi’s art collective spent seven years transforming Kabul’s labyrinthine concrete blast walls with colourful murals.

A portrait of the Queen ‘looking like a corgi’ is set to feature in a special Lucian Freud Exhibition in the UK.

Time for Plan B! The 2021 National Arts Festival is set to move into an online space for the second time this coming July.

Sculpture artist, Godfrey Dambuleni recently created a special version of Oscar the Seal by recycling used coffee capsules.

The ‘My Community Cooks’ programme is calling all creatives to submit and showcase their work.

The 2021 National Arts Festival will take place in various cities in South Africa from 17 June to 4 July.

Pitika Ntuli’s’ exhibition ‘Azibuyele Emasisweni’ won one of the two People’s Choice Awards at this year’s Global Fine Art Awards.

Artist Faith XLVII (read as Faith 47) recently completed the final instalment of the iconic Mural Trilogy in honour of the women of Johannesburg.

Introducing the National Arts Festival, a hybrid festival of the arts, anchored in Makhanda, accessible online and coming to you in cites across South Africa.

Nelson Makamo has been making waves internationally with his vibrant portraits. View Makamo’s ‘Human Grace’ – or go on a walkabout with the artist – at Everard Read.