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SOTHEBY’S Modern And Contemporary African Art Auction In London 16 October 2018 sothebys.com/contemporaryafrican
Sotheby’s achieved outstanding results in its first two sales, breaking over 35 artist records and attracting collectors from 33 countries. Many of the works sold far above their high estimates, such as Nigerian master Ben Enwonwu’s ‘Africa Dances’ which rose high above its pre-sale estimate of £20,000 £30,000 achieving £187,000/$265,744. The upcoming October sale includes exemplary works from a variety of artists from across the African continent. South African art is well represented, with standout pieces by leading artists including Gavin Jantjes, Peter Clarke, Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba, David Goldblatt and William Kentridge.
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ince its creation in 2016, Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary African Art Department has dedicated itself to championing the work of artists from Africa and its diaspora. Kicking off with a record breaking inaugural sale in May 2016 that totalled £2,794,750, Sotheby’s has quickly positioned itself at the helm of this emerging market. Sotheby’s Director and Head of Modern and Contemporary African Art, Hannah O’ Leary adds that “the international spotlight on Modern and Contemporary African Art is growing ever stronger as museums, critics and art fairs increasingly look to profile art from the region. Artists from the continent, who were previously overlooked by the secondary market, are finally starting to receive their due recognition.”
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Following on from Kentridge’s sell-out performance of ‘The Head & The Load’ at the Tate Modern in July in London, Sotheby’s is pleased to present the artist’s ‘Kinetic Sculpture’ (est. £70,000 - £90,000). Kentridge’s work is constructed out of found objects, demonstrating the artist’s process of reclaiming old objects for new uses. Similar to Kentridge, Kader Attia forms new work from old objects for example in ‘Mirror Mask’ (est. £30,000 - £50,000) which is an alteration of a traditional African mask, referring to the influence of African art on Western modernism. Ibrahim Mahama’s ‘JOHN ABRE 1’ (est. £30,000 - £40,000) demonstrates the power of Mahama’s choice of materials, which add a powerful sense of narrative to his work. He uses coal sacks, cloth and jute sacks which are materials synonymous with Ghana’s market trade, to create dramatic, hung installations. Top Left: Right: David Goldblatt, Margaret Mcingana at Home on a Sunday Afternoon, Zola Soweto, Johannesburg, 1970, est. £4,000 - £6,000 Right: Kudzanai Chiurai, Enterprise, est. £12,000 - £18,000
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