African Art Takes Centre Stage
Sotheby’s shines a light on African creativity from the 20th and 21st centuries in an exhibition in its New Bond Street galleries, which opened to the public from the 15-20 March. All the works are now being offered in a dedicated sale on 21 March , marking the first live auction for the category at Sotheby’s in four years (between March 2020 and October 2023, Sotheby’s African sales took place online).
The auction starts bids at 14:00 GMT today. 21 March. The London sale celebrates the very best of #African creativity, with a diverse selection of highly coveted and culturally significant works from across the continent. With something for everyone at every price point this carefully assembled offering auction showcases iconic works by Modern Masters alongside the new and exciting production of trailblazing artists presently working on the continent.
The auction will be accepting Online, Absentee and Telephone bids only. Assistance with registration or bidding, bids.london@sothebys.com
“This season, we are showcasing an exceptional offering of more than 90 works by 66 artists from 23 countries, bringing together a kaleidoscope of cultures and themes from across the continent. Now, more than ever, feels like an incredibly exciting time to acquire works of African art, as artists from the continent continue to take the art world by storm, with major museum and institutional show openings as well as increasing representation at art fairs and in galleries, all around the world. Modern and Contemporary African art undoubtedly remains one of the most innovative and relevant categories in the market today.” Hannah O’Leary, Sotheby’s Head of Modern & Contemporary African Art
O’Leary first joined Sotheby’s in 2005, In 2006 she joined #Bonhams in London, there she helped pioneer the first international auctions of South African Art and Modern & Contemporary African Art. With 10 years’ experience in this field, and having overseen record-breaking sales in both categories, she returned to Sotheby’s in 2016 to further develop this burgeoning market.
🔥 Since then Sotheby’s has consistently dominated this market, breaking over 200 world record prices artists from the continent, including Njideka Akunyili Crosby ($3.4million), Michael Armitage ($1.5million), and William Kentridge ($1.5million).
Sotheby’s sales of Modern and Contemporary African Art have achieved well over 130 auction records since the inauguration of the series in 2017. Since then, Sotheby’s has remained dedicated to showcasing a diverse selection of highly coveted and culturally significant works from across Africa each season, with iconic works by Modern Masters presented side-by-side with pieces by trailblazing artists presently working on the continent.
This sale is no different, featuring 98 works by 66 artists from 23 countries in Africa: from Ben Enwonwu to Alexis Preller, Irma Stern to Amoako Boafo, Ablade Glover to Sydney Kumalo, and Pascale Marthine Tayou to Ouattara Watts. Almost 90% of the offerings will make their auction debut this season, and more than 85% of the works will be exhibited for the first time.
In recent years, the international auction market for African art has only grown from strength to strength, and last year, Sotheby’s earned over 50% of the market share, propelled by record sales for African artists in its major international Modern and Contemporary evening sales (as reported by ArtTactic).
In October, for instance, Sotheby’s set a new record for an African-born artist when Julie Mehretu’s Untitled work sold for $9.32 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong. Then, in November, Mehretu broke her record again when Walkers With the Dawn and the Morning sold for $10.7 million at Sotheby’s New York. British-Ghanaian painter Lynette Yiadom-Boakye also set her auction record in the company’s London salesroom last October when Six Birds in the Bush sold for $3.6 million.
Looking more broadly, exciting conversations continue to ignite across the field, fuelled by the growth of international art fairs, such as 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Art X Lagos, and of course the highly anticipated debut of the Morocco and Benin Pavilions at this year’s Venice Biennale.
An abundance of African artists will also feature large as part of the Biennale’s main exhibition, with works by artists including Kudzanai Chiurai, Ben Enwonwu, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Esther Mahlangu, Mohamed Melehi, Uche Okeke, George Pemba, Gerard Sekoto and Irma Sterm – all of whoms works also feature in our sale. In London, highly-anticipated exhibitions have also just opened at the National Portrait Gallery (The Time is Always Now Artists Reframe the Black Figure), Dulwich Picture Gallery (Soulscapes) and Royal Academy (Entangled Pasts, 1768- now).
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