For Artists
Who this is for
Openframe works with a small number of artists based in the Middle East and North Africa who are producing work suitable for Western markets but face structural barriers to participation.
This includes barriers related to payment systems, legal compliance, fulfillment logistics, platform access, and market norms rather than artistic quality.
Openframe is not designed for artists seeking rapid exposure, short term promotion, or mass market distribution. It is designed for artists interested in stable, long term participation.
How artists are selected
Openframe does not accept open applications.
Artists are identified, vetted, and invited through a curator led process based in Zamalek, Cairo. Selection is relationship driven and develops over time rather than through formal submissions.
This process allows Openframe to understand an artist’s work, goals, and constraints before extending an invitation.
What participation includes
Artists working within Openframe retain full ownership of their work.
Openframe operates the surrounding systems required for Western market participation, including:
Merchant of Record coverage for print sales
Payment processing and currency handling compatible with Western buyers
Print on demand fulfillment through Western production partners
Website infrastructure operated under a unified platform
Administrative and compliance systems required for ongoing operation
Artists are not required to manage these systems independently.
Artist sites
Each participating artist operates on an individual site under the Openframe umbrella.
These sites function as:
A public gallery presenting the artist’s work
A print store accessible to Western buyers
A curated portfolio suitable for submissions and professional review
A narrative space providing context through behind the work material
Artist sites are not aggregated into a centralized marketplace. Each artist’s work is presented independently.
Education and context
Openframe views education as part of the infrastructure.
Artists working within Openframe are supported in developing an understanding of Western market structures, pricing expectations, portfolio presentation, and buyer behavior. This knowledge is shared gradually and contextually rather than through rigid programs.
The goal is clarity and agency, not dependency.
Financial structure
Openframe does not charge upfront fees or monthly fees to participating MENA based artists.
Operational costs are covered through a fixed share of net print revenue. Openframe retains twenty percent of net print sales to fund infrastructure, fulfillment, administration, and long term operation.
Artists are paid monthly based on completed sales after production and processing costs.
Scale and support
Openframe is intentionally limited in scale.
The platform is designed to support approximately twenty to twenty five artists at any given time. This limit allows for consistency, responsiveness, and long term stability.
Participation is ongoing rather than transactional. Openframe is designed to operate alongside an artist’s practice over time.
What Openframe does not provide
Openframe does not guarantee sales, representation, or external opportunities.
It does not act as a gallery, agent, or promoter.
It does not control creative direction.
It does not require exclusivity.
Openframe operates infrastructure. Artistic outcomes remain the artist’s own.
A final note
Openframe exists to make participation possible, not effortless.
Artists are expected to remain engaged with their work, their presentation, and their development. Openframe provides structure, continuity, and access. The work itself remains central.