Untouched since the artist’s death: Works from Bertina Lopes’ studio come to Bonhams
London – Widely celebrated as the mother of contemporary African painting, Mozambican-Italian artist Bertina Lopes (1924-2012) was one of the earliest pioneers to bridge the gap between African and European art. The Studio of Bertina Lopes (1924-2012), an online sale from 4-19 June on bonhams.com, presents a selection of 57 oil paintings, drawings and sculptures from the artist’s studio in Rome that has been virtually untouched since her death.
Helene Love-Allotey, Bonhams’ Head of Sale commented, “The life of Bertina Lopes is one of the greatest stories in contemporary art and politics. Her vibrant paintings reflect a double identity, resulting in an unusual abstract construction, often mixed with found materials. Lopes is a celebrated as cultural symbol of Mozambique, representing the country in numerous official exhibitions worldwide as well as receiving awards and citations for her role in promoting both art and peace. This sale, sold on behalf of the artist’s estate and featuring works by the artist from her studio, which has been left virtually untouched since Lopes’ death, presents a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire a piece of this historical legacy.”
Bertina Lopes’ Studio in Rome. Image courtesy of Bonhams
Bertina Lopes in her studio in Maputo, 1986. Courtesy of Archivo Bertina Lopes
Born under colonialism in Mozambique to Portuguese-Mozambican parents, Bertina Lopes completed her studies in Lisbon and returned to Maputo in 1953 as an artist and teacher. In Maputo, she forged close friendships with poets, writers, and political activists who were fundamental in forming her anti-colonial anti-fascist beliefs. Lopes’ activism forced her to leave Mozambique in 1961, returning to Lisbon to continue her artistic work. Prosecuted by the PIDE (Portuguese International and State Defence Police), she fled Portugal for Rome only two years later.
Despite facing difficulties as an African artist in Italy, Lopes filled a vital role in the capital, serving as the cultural attaché of her country’s Embassy. Lopes’ studio on Via XX Settembre where she lived and worked became famous for the dinners hosted by the artist and her husband Francesco Confaloni. The studio became a modern-day salon for African and European diplomats, journalists, and intellectuals. Here, she befriended many of the protagonists of the Italian art scene, including Marino Marini, Renato Guttuso, Carlo Levi and Antonio Scordia, as well as critics and museum directors.
With her Rome studio as her home-base, Lopes’ political militancy continued throughout her entire career. It was thanks to her close friendships with Mozambique presidents Joaquim Chissano and Armando Guebuza and with the opposing military factions of the Frelino e Renamo movements that she was able to facilitate mediation (alongside the Roman Catholic lay organization “Community di Sant’Egidio” and the United Nations) for the peace accords in 1992, ending 15 years of civil war in Mozambique.
Lopes represented Mozambique in numerous official cultural exhibitions worldwide, twice in the Venice Biennale, and received awards and citations for her efforts in promoting both art and peace. Her trailblazing work has been the subject of two exhibitions at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon (1973 and 1979) and two major retrospectives in Rome at Palazzo Venezia (1986) and Palazzo della Cancelleria Apostolica (2002). Marking the 10th anniversary of the artist’s death, Saltoun Gallery in Rome recently held a retrospective celebrating the artists’ 70-year-long career. Meanwhile, the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome earlier this year dedicated an exhibition to Lopes’ studio as a site of resistance, featuring a partial reconstruction of the space.
Bertina Lopes’ works are currently on display at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
Highlights of the sale include:
- La vita é una eruzione vulvanica (Life is a volcanic eruption), 1996, oil on canvas. Estimate: £15,000-20,000
- Gli attimi sono gli anelli del tempo (Moments are the rings of time), 1995, oil on canvas. Estimate: £15,000-20,000
- Il canto della natura (The song of nature), 2000, oil on canvas. Estimate: £15,000-20,000
- Totem, 1986, bronze. Estimate: £1,000-1,500
- Auto-retrato, lo e Franco mio marito (Self-portrait, my husband Franco and I), 1968, oil on canvas. Estimate: £7,000-10,000
Sale: The Studio of Bertina Lopes (1924-2012)
Date: 4-19 June 2024