BONHAMS

Highlights from the upcoming Bonhams Modern and Contemporary Art sale

Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu (1921-1996)

Dancers

Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu is an iconic figure in Nigerian art history. An influential artist and educator, she played a substantial role in the structural advancement of the art scene in the postcolonial modernist period around independence in 1960 (Okeke-Agulu). Born in Kano, Ugbodaga-Ngu taught art in mission schools in the north before receiving a scholarship from the colonial administration to study art at Chelsea School of Art and train as a teacher at London Institute of Education. On her return to Nigeria she began work as an art teacher with the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria (NCAST) and became the first Nigerian teacher - and furthermore the first female teacher - in the department. This appointment was hugely significant as it placed an African woman in one of the key art institutions of the time.

Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E (1917-1994)

Aye Mama at 80

Better known as Ben Enwonwu, was a Nigerian painter and sculptor. Arguably the most influential African artist of the 20th century, his pioneering career opened the way for the postcolonial proliferation and increased visibility of modern African art. He was one of the first African artists to win critical acclaim, having exhibited in august exhibition spaces in Europe and the United States and listed in international directories of contemporary art. Since 1950, Enwonwu was celebrated as “Africa’s Greatest Artist” by the international media and his fame was used to enlist support for Black Nationalists movement all over the world. The Enwonwu crater on the planet Mercury is named in his honour.

Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams Director of Modern and Contemporary African Art, commented: “Bonhams has been in the forefront of African art sales since 2009, and has pioneered the market for African Art globally. The department holds a number of world records for African artists. This has most notably included Ben Enwonwu’s Tutu which we sold for £1,205,000 in 2018, setting a new world record for the artist, and becoming the most valuable Nigerian painting sold at auction. As the current market leaders for African Art, we look forward to building upon our successes further in 2022.”