COVER LOT: Dumile Feni, Mother & Baby, 1969. Auction Estimate: R 900 000 – 1 200 000
Aspire Art’s upcoming live auction 20th Century & Contemporary Art will take place in Cape Town on Wednesday, 14 September 2022. Excitement is building for this much anticipated sale which features a focussed collection of 81 specially selected top-quality works by some of South Africa’s most influential modern masters and renowned contemporary African artists practicing in the international art arena today.
Download the auction catalogue here
Contemporary highlights include seminal works by William Kentridge, Robert Hodgins, David Koloane, Penny Siopis, Deborah Bell, Sam Nhlengethwa and Kemang Wa Lehulere alongside emerging stars Blessing Ngobeni, Troy Makaza, Zemba Luzamba and Atang Tshikare.
LEFT: William Kentridge, Drawing from Preparing the Flute, 2004/5. Auction Estimate: R 1 500 000 – 2 000 000
RIGHT: Robert Hodgins, Big Sulk, Cosy Gossip, 2002. Auction Estimate: R 900 000 – 1 200 000
LEFT: David Koloane, Saxophone no. 3, 2016. Auction Estimate: R100 000 – 150 000
RIGHT: Sam Nhlengethwa, Homage to Lucas Sithole, 2021. Auction Estimate: R100 000 – 150 000
LEFT: Blessing Ngobeni, Untouchable (Politician), 2015. Auction Estimate: R250 000 – 350 000
RIGHT: Atang Tshikare, Mopane, 2019. Auction Estimate: R100 000 – 150 000
Collectors of 20th century modernism can look forward to rare and never before seen works by leading figures of the Amadlozi Group; Edoardo Villa and Cecil Skotnes. Other highly collectable works by the much-loved artists Walter Battiss, Fred Page and Judith Mason are also included.
LEFT: Edoardo Villa, Metamorphosis,1986. Auction Estimate: R90 000 – 120 000
RIGHT: Cecil Skotnes, Figure Composition, 1974. Auction Estimate: R400 000 – 600 000
LEFT: Walter Battiss, Beach scene. Auction Estimate: R120 000 – 180 000
RIGHT: Fred Page, Tomorrow Belongs to Us, 1973. Auction Estimate: R150 000 – 250 000
The auction features two specialist sections: Black Modernism and African Photography. Aspire has championed both of these collecting segments and remains committed to bringing key artists from these categories to market.
Leading the sale is an impressive large-scale drawing by Dumile Feni titled Mother and Baby, created in 1969, the year just after Dumile left South Africa to go into exile. The drawing is a powerful example of Feni’s ‘London Period’ works which are considered poetically expressive and at times indirectly biographical.
Also included are significant works by other leading modernists Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba, Lucas Sithole and a particularly scarce painting by the prodigiously talented Julian Motau, who tragically died at the age of 20.
LEFT: George Pemba, Pennies from Heaven, 1986. Auction Estimate: R300 000 – 400 000
RIGHT: Julian Motau, Prisoner, 1966. Auction Estimate: R200 000 – 300 000
LEFT: Lucas Thandokwazi Sithole, African Mask LS6518, 1965. Auction Estimate: R250 000 – 350 000
RIGHT: Gerard Sekoto, Casamance Dancers and Policeman, 1966. Auction Estimate: R300 000 – 400 000
The Photography section includes limited editioned, silver gelatin prints by celebrated documentary photographer David Goldblatt alongside incredible photographic works by the award winning Mikhael Subotzky, Mohau Modisakeng, Kudzanai Chiurai and the multi-talented Simphiwe Ndzube. Of note is a portrait by visual activist Zanele Muholi from the renowned Somnyama Ngonyama series which also showed at the Tate Modern in 2021 as part of the artist’s retrospective as well as a striking image by multi-media artist Mary Sibande from her critically acclaimed Long Live the Dead Queen series, which also recently showed at the Lagos Photo Festival.
LEFT: David Goldblatt, Near Botterkloofpas, Karoo. 2 March 2002. Auction Estimate: R 180 000 – 250 000
RIGHT: Mohau Modisakeng, Zanj 1, 2019. Auction Estimate: R120 000 – 180 000
LEFT: Zanele Muholi, Thulani I, Paris, ‘Somnyama Ngonyama’ series, 2014. Auction Estimate: R150 000-250 000
RIGHT: Mary Sibande, Caught in the Rapture, 2009. Auction Estimate: R180 000 – 240 000
The Preview Opening for the public takes place on Thursday, 8 September from 17:00 – 20:00 at Aspire Art’s gallery and auction room. The exhibition will then run from 9 – 14 September. An informative walk-about of the highlight works will be hosted on Saturday, 10 September at 11:00.
Enquiries: 021 418 0765 / email ct@aspireart.net
Location: Aspire Art, 37A Somerset Road, De Waterkant, Cape Town.