ART AUCTION
The Contemporary African art sale will include Aime Mpane’s Ikono- Jeremie each 32 x 31 x 3cm (12 5/8 x 12 3/16 x 1 3/16in) (12). Estimate: £25,000 – 35,000/US$ 38,000 – 53,000. Image courtesy of Bonhams
ART AUCTION: Bonhams first contemporary African art sale in London is set for auction history with the works of emerging and famous African artists.
BY KAZEEM ADELEKE
El Anatsui, Al Haji, carved and incised wood 184 x 80 x 28cm (72 7/16 x 31 1/2 x 11in). Image courtesy of Bonhams
LONDON- Works by Africa’s major contemporary African artists will feature prominently at Bonhams Africa Now – Contemporary African auction. The auction will take place on October 15, 2015, in London. This is the first sale by any international auction house to take place in London. The sole focus on the new and vibrant contemporary African art market also makes it unique. Some of the artists participating in this contemporary African art sale include El Anatsui, Chéri Samba, Maïmouna Guerresi, and Aboudia Abdoulaye Diarrassouba. Others are Juliet Ezenwa Maja-Pearce, Peju Alatise, and Barthélémy Toguo.
Contemporary African Art Auction
Bonhams Contemporary African Art auction is the continuation of the auction house initiative that started early in the year with Africa Now – Modern Africa auction. The focus on contemporary African art, Bonhams notes reflects the growing awareness and demand for works by African artists in the global art market. The auction house notes:
Awareness of Contemporary African Art has grown faster in recent years than in any other field, and the auction house is expecting strong interest in the sale. Bonhams already holds many world records at auction for works by Contemporary African artists.
The show is strategically initiated to coincide with the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair at Somerset House and also the Frieze Art Fair. There is great excitement that the contemporary African art sale will help solidify the place of African artists in the global art market.
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Commenting on the sale, Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams Director of Contemporary African Art, said, ‘Contemporary African painting and sculpture is currently among the most exciting and dynamic areas of world art, and artists such as El Anatsui and Cheri Samba are internationally renowned.’
Highlighting the Contemporary African Art auction is Al Haji by Ghana-born, Nigeria-based artist El Anatsui. The two wooden sculptures have an estimate of £100,000-150,000. However, expectations are they will surpass expectations and make record auction prices.
El Anatsui, one of Africa’s leading contemporary artists, will have several of his sculptures on the auction block. One of them is The Pilgrims, which has an estimate of £30,000-50,000. Some collectors, however, think it will set auction record prices because of the brilliance of the sculpture and the recognition of the artist. His works are in museums and major collections across the globe. From his major exhibitions at the 2007 Venice Biennale to New York’s Brooklyn Museum and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2013. El Anatsui is no doubt one of the most famous contemporary African artists in this auction.
Inspiration From Billboard
J’aime la couleur by Chéri Samba (b. 1958) will feature prominently in this art sale. This is an excellent example of work by this artist, who gets his inspiration from billboards around his city of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. J’aime la couleur has an estimate of £25,000-30,000. Samba, a former sign-painter for an advertising agency, uses advertising techniques to create works that are uniquely his own. His large-scale vivid paintings are visible from a distance.
Mohamed and Daughters, a print triptych by Maïmouna Guerresi, is one of the works showing cross-cultural influences. The piece demonstrates a profound transformation in the style of this Italian feminist artist. After her marriage to a member of the Senegalese Murid community in 1991, Guerresi began to get artistic inspiration from the mystical tradition of West African Islam. That influence is evident in her work. The piece has an estimate of £12,000-18,000.
Reflection on War
WeaponThrone by sculptor Gonçalo Mabunda (b.1975), reflects the impact of war on a child’s psyche. The Mozambican sculptor was scarred by his country’s civil war. Made from decommissioned weapons, the sculpture echoes the dangers of war to families and children. WeaponThrone has an estimate of £7,000-10,000.
Works by Cameroon-born Barthélémy Toguo will also feature prominently at the Contemporary African Art sale. You Are Not Supposed to Park Here is one of the works by Toguo, who trained in Côte d’Ivoire before studying in France and Germany. The watercolor painting follows Toguo’s artistic tradition, often informed by the global flow of people and capital. It has an estimate of £10,000-15,000.
Peju Alatise (Nigerian, born 1975), High Horses triptych, wood, cloth, resin, fiberglass, and acrylic, 233.7 x 68.6cm (92 x 27in). Estimate: £25,000 – 30,000/US$ 38,000 – 46,000. Image courtesy of Bonhams
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