Wide range of top African art on offer
● Two internationally acclaimed artists, Billie Zangewa and William Kentridge, are among an influential group of contemporary African artists in Strauss & Co’s premier live/virtual sale on Tuesday. The catalogue includes important bronzes and early drawings by Kentridge, paintings by Deborah Bell, Marlene Dumas and Georgina Gratrix, as well as photographs by Athi-Patra Ruga and Mikhael Subotzky.
“Johannesburg artist Billie Zangewa has garnered international attention and representation with her compelling narrative tapestries made by layering fragments of raw silk,” said Wilhelm van Rensburg, chief curator for Strauss & Co. “We are delighted to be presenting an early work by the artist from 2008. Business as Usual (estimate R900,000-R1.2m) is dominated by a sumptuous ground of seductive pink silk and showcases why the artist has been invited to collaborate with luxury brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton.”
The contemporary consignment features nine works representative of all Kentridge’s major media and themes. Five bronzes include an edition of the artist’s electrified cat (estimate R2m- R3m) inspired by a Cecil Skotnes graphic.
Also on offer are two early drawings: a circa 1985 study of a seated woman (estimate R1.2mR1.5m), and a surrealistic landscape from the Deluge series (estimate R2m-R3m). The multi-panel lithograph Irises, Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope (estimate R1m-R1.5m) depicts a German iris and was printed on 42 pages in six runs.
Collectors interested in Kentridge’s prints will revel in the catalogue for “Defining Impressions”,
The contemporary consignment features nine works representative of all William Kentridge’s major media and themes
a curated auction of 80 prints published by six studios. This live/virtual specialist auction will be held tomorrow. It includes three rare etchings from Kentridge’s 1978 series Carlton Centre Games Arcade (estimate R50,000-R70,0000) presented in a single lot. Other important Kentridge prints on offer include Iris II (In Clamp) from 2005 (estimate R750,000-R850,000) and the 2013 linocut Hope in the Green Leaves (estimate R600,000-R800,000).
Other notable works made since 2000 appearing in the premier evening sale include Athi-Patra Ruga’s large photograph Miss Azania, Exile is Waiting (estimate R450,000-R600,000), an edition of which appeared in the artist’s 2018 solo exhibition at Somerset House, London.
Georgina Gratrix is widely admired for her bold impasto portraits, of which Woman with Sunglasses (estimate R90,000-R120,000) is a striking example.
Robert Hodgins is represented by three paintings of seated figures. Painted in 2003, Kings of Africa (estimate R400,000-R600,000) shows his élan as a colourist.
Johannesburg auction week culminates with a timed online auction of modern and contemporary art on Wednesday.
Tracey Rose’s important photo self-portrait MAQEII (estimate R120,000-R150,000) from her Ciao Bella series, leads an excellent consignment of photographs by Cyrus Kabiru, David Goldblatt and Mikhael Subotzky.
Walter Oltmann’s intricately woven sculpture Wall Flower (estimate R120,000-R180,000) forms part of a diverse sculpture consignment that includes works by Norman Catherine, Dylan Lewis, Blessing Ngobeni and Angus Taylor.
The painting consignment includes Stephané Conradie’s Hairossie (estimate R70,000R100,000), an assemblage piece combining original painting and found sculpture, as well as collectable works by Olaf Bisschoff, Conrad Botes, Anton Karstel, Yolanda Mazwana, Bambo Sibiya, Simon Stone and Clive van den Berg.