Branson puts African art on auction
AFRICAN artwork assembled by Sir Richard Branson and philanthropist Robert Devereux will feature at an auction in London next week, to raise funds for a project in South Africa.
The Bonhams modern African art auction will raise funds for Virgin Unite, one of Branson’s non-profit bodies, and for the African Arts Trust.
Virgin Unite’s share of the proceeds will support its charitable initiative Pride ‘n’ Purpose in Mpumalanga.
Established in 2003, Pride ‘n’ Purpose supports communities in the area surrounding the Sabi Sand Reserve.
The charity provides access to clean and safe water, education, extracurricular activities for children, and support to local entrepreneurs.
Currently more than 35 000 people across six communities are benefiting from the project.
“I’ve always been drawn to African art, so I was only too happy to donate some of the pieces we’ve collected to the Bonhams sale and raise critical funds for Virgin Unite and the African Arts Fund,” Branson said.
“We set up our not-for-profit foundation, Virgin Unite, in 2004 in the belief that we can achieve so much more when we work together.
“Thank you to Bonhams for joining our efforts and I only hope the new owners love the artwork as much as I do,” he said.
Highlights of the collection include Ahioke, a mixed media installation by Nigerian artist Nnenna Okore.
The title means “top cloth” in Yoruba, and the work was made using traditional weaving techniques.
The decorative fabrics are worn for special occasions, weddings, festivals and ceremonies.
However, hand-woven cloth is under threat from mass-produced textiles.
Egun, a triptych by Beninese artist Julien Sinzogan, depicts a Yoruba masquerade in which dancers journey to the spirit realm.
Sinzogan uses the recurring motif of a ship to symbolise the transition from one state to another.
The auction will also feature Landscape 1 Min Neber by multi-disciplinary, architecture-trained Ethiopian artist Elias Sime.
His collages, composed from thread, buttons, plastic and animal skin, have a sculptural element to them.
The modernist landscape presents a utopian vision of what his country and the world could look like if they were looked after in a more responsible manner.
The auction
London. is on March 18 in