Auction alert: Modern & Contemporary African Art

Yusuf Adebayo Cameron Grillo - "The Seventh Knot", 1969

The Modern & Contemporary African Art auction takes place on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 from 3pm, at Bonhams in their New Bond Street, London location. There are 67 lots in the sale, with estimates ranging from £700 to £500,000.

The fine art on sale is from across the continent and a range of mediums; South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast. Oil on canvas, wooden sculpture and gouache on card and – my favourite item in the sale – a chimp created out of old vehicle tyres. It immediately reminded me of a piece that I saw in the Picasso Museum in Paris many years ago. It was a sculpture of a baboon and young where the mother’s face was composed of a pair of bronze casts of toy Citroen 2CVs.

Buyer’s premium rates
 are as follows:

27.5% on the first £20,000 of the hammer price
26% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £20,000 up to and including £700,000
20% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £700,000 up to and including £4,500,000
14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of £4,500,000

VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the Buyer’s Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.

Zanele Muholi - "Ngizwile", 2021

Lot 3: Zanele Muholi (South African, born 1972)
Ngizwile, 2021
signed, titled and dated ‘Zanele Muholi/ Ngizwile/ 2021/ 120x180cm/ ZM’ (verso)
acrylic on canvas
180 x 120cm (70 7/8 x 47 1/4in).
(unframed)
Estimate: £10,000 – £15,000

Afewerk Tekle - Ibeji and other objects

Lot 12: Afewerk Tekle (Ethiopian, 1932-2012)
Ibeji and other objects
signed and dated in Amharic and ‘afewerk tekle/1964’ (lower left)
oil on canvas on board
50.5 x 75.4cm (19 7/8 x 29 11/16in).
(unframed)
Estimate: £8,000 – £12,000

Abdoulaye Diarrassouba "Aboudia" - Untitled

Lot 14: Abdoulaye Diarrassouba “Aboudia” (Ivorian, born 1983)
Untitled
signed ‘ABOUDIA/ 18’ (lower right)
oil stick, acrylic and collage on canvas
100 x 100cm (39 3/8 x 39 3/8in).
(unframed)
Estimate: £30,000 – £50,000

Yusuf Adebayo Cameron Grillo - "The Seventh Knot", 1969

Lot 17: Yusuf Adebayo Cameron Grillo (Nigerian, 1934-2021)
The Seventh Knot, 1969
signed and dated ‘Y GRILLO/ 69′ (lower left); inscribed ’22/ THE SEVENTH KNOT/ OIL ON BOARD BY/ Y.A GRILLO 1969’ (verso)
oil on board
121 x 75cm (47 5/8 x 29 1/2in).
(framed)
Estimate: £150,000 – £200,000

Ablade Glover - "Pot Sellers"

Lot 21: Ablade Glover (Ghanaian, born 1934)
Pot Sellers
signed and dated ‘Glo/ 12’ (lower right); inscribed ‘Market Profile pot sellers, Glo -86/012, 40×60’ (verso)
oil on canvas
102 x 152cm (40 3/16 x 59 13/16in).
(framed)
Estimate: £12,000 – £18,000

Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E. - "Africa Dances", 1991

Lot 24: Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E (Nigerian, 1917-1994)
Africa Dances, 1991
signed and dated ‘BEN ENWONWU 1991’ (lower left)
oil on canvas
70 x 60cm (27 9/16 x 23 5/8in).
(framed)
Estimate: £150,000 – £200,000

Ablade Glover - "Lorry Station"

Lot 27: Ablade Glover (Ghanaian, born 1934)
Lorry Station
signed and dated ‘Glo/ 20’ (lower right)
oil on canvas
102 x 102cm (40 3/16 x 40 3/16in).
(unframed)
Estimate: £5,000 – £8,000

Stanley Faraday Pinker - "Untitled "

Lot 30: Stanley Faraday Pinker (South African, 1924-2012)
Untitled
signed ‘SF Pinker’ (lower left); bears ‘John Mathieson & Co., Edinburgh’ label (verso)
oil on board
21.1 x 43.7cm (8 5/16 x 17 3/16in).
(framed)
Estimate: £4,000 – £6,000

Lucas Tandokwazi Sithole - Sculpture

Lot 36: Lucas Tandokwazi Sithole (South African, 1931-1994)
Sculpture
signed ‘L.T.SITHOLE’ (to the base)
wood
46.5 x 10 x 9cm (18 5/16 x 3 15/16 x 3 9/16in)
Estimate: £3,000 – £5,000

Irma Stern - "Still life of fish"

Lot 41: Irma Stern (South African, 1894-1966)
Still life of fish
signed and dated ‘Irma Stern/ 1939’ (centre right)
oil on canvas
49.7 x 59.7cm (19 9/16 x 23 1/2in).
(framed)
Estimate: £30,000 – £50,000

Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E. - "Dancer", 1958

Lot 53: Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E. (Nigerian, 1917-1994)
Dancer, 1958
signed and dated ‘Ben Enwonwu/ 1958′ (lower left); inscribed ’22’ (verso)
gouache on card
53 x 13cm (20 7/8 x 5 1/8in).
(framed)
Estimate: £10,000 – £15,000

Ernest Nkwocha - "Deep Thought", 2021

Lot 66: Ernest Nkwocha (Nigerian, born 1986)
Deep Thought, 2021,
signed ‘ERNEST NKWOCHA’ (right shoulder)
wire, nails, and repurposed tyres on plinth
60 x 53 x 42cm (23 5/8 x 20 7/8 x 16 9/16in).
Estimate: £3,000 – £5,000

Abelardo Ruiz

Vintage Abelardo Ruiz candle holder with cacti | H is for Home

We’ve welcomed a new young lady into our house this week. Adelle’s parents were having a re-decorate/clear out and offered us this vintage papier mâché candle holder that once belonged to her grandmother.

Vintage Abelardo Ruiz candle holder detail showing the face | H is for Home

It dates from the 1960s/70s and is the work of Mexican artist, Abelardo Ruiz. We wonder how it managed to find its way from Central America to a small little town in Surrey!

Vintage Abelardo Ruiz candle holder lying on its side | H is for Home

His girls are very distinctive with pretty big eyes and long lashes – quite similar in style to another favourite artist of ours, Lefor Openo.

Vintage Abelardo Ruiz candle holder detail showing the top | H is for Home

Her wide brimmed hat forms the candle holder, but she works simply as a decorative model or sculpture too. She’s very much at home in a mid century modern or vintage boho chic setting.

Vintage Abelardo Ruiz candle holder detail showing the signature on the base | H is for Home

Here are some more fabulous examples of Abelardo Ruiz work we’ve found online.

Abelardo Ruiz mosaic of papier mâché candle holders, clothes hangers and boxes | H is for Home
Additional image credits: Etsy | eBay | Worthpoint | k-bid | Antique Auctions Now | Live Auctioneers