Made from smooth stone, intricately carved busts of African figures stand on a mantelpiece in a gallery in the north of Beijing. The stone sculptures are in the company of oil paintings and wooden works depicting animals of the savannas.

This is the Apex African Art Gallery, a showcase of art mainly from Zimbabwe, its surrounding countries, and Tanzania. Gallerist Wang Jian has been operating the gallery for 14 years, having moved locations a few times within China's capital.

Walking around the gallery, art appreciators and collectors can view a selection of stone artworks, wooden carvings – including some that can function as furniture – and paintings of love stories and other subjects.

Wang said she has been travelling to Africa regularly to source art.

"Since 2007, I have been going to Africa from time to time. I used to work for a company in Hong Kong, and I was assigned by the company to work in Zimbabwe. This is when I fell in love with local African art and so I decided to leave the company and run my own art gallery. I go and search for markets. Sometimes I have to travel out of the cities, as some artists live far out," said Wang.

These days, she curates a selection of works that she feels appeals to art collectors in China, many of whom have had links to Africa. Her customers mainly come from Beijing and are older than 40.

"Most of them have experience with Africa, maybe having worked in railways in the continent. When they come to my gallery, they are reminded of their time in Africa. Some have small galleries or yards where they later display the works," she said.

When sourcing pieces, she focusses on colors that appeal to the Chinese market.

"Different buyers from different countries chose differently. For the European market, many chose stone works with black and white colors; they have a sense of art," she added.