Yesterday, Sotheby’s achieved an impressive total sale of £2,274,625 (including buyer’s premium) at its Modern & Contemporary African Art auction. Of the 99 lots that went under the hammer, 70 lots sold and 36 of these sold above high estimates….
Is the 2018 Bonhams Africa Now Sale a sign of Ablade Glover’s Rise in Value?
If auction prices are indicative of market value, then Glover’s value is on the rise. And deservedly so. The Bonhams Africa Now auction in London last Thursday, 4 October 2018, offered an impressive collection of works by leading African artists—including…
Nsikak Essien continues his Metaphorical Portrayal of God’s Love with ‘Agape!’ at Nike Art Gallery
As with his last three solo exhibitions, which also held at Nike Art Gallery, Nsikak Essien’s ‘Agape! (Heir Apparent)’ dwells on the love of God for mankind, his heirs. Back in 1991, the renowned mixed media and experimental artist—who, in…
New Nigerian Conjunctures: The Art of George Edozie
From 5th to 15th September 2018, The National Museum, Onikan, Lagos hosted ‘New Nigerian Conjunctures: The Art of George Edozie’, a solo exhibition of recent works by Edozie, a prolific painter, who has successfully incorporated textiles into his works and…
Images from the just concluded ‘inBetween’ Exhibition by SMO Contemporary Art at START Art Fair 2018
At the START Art Fair 2018 hosted by Saatchi Gallery in London, SMO Contemporary presented artworks by three contemporary Nigerian artists—Nengi Omuku, Ngozi Omeje and Olumide Onadipe. The group exhibition titled ‘InBetween’ is described by SMO Contemporary as, a showcase…
Tribute to the Father of Modern Nigerian Art, Aina Onabolu, on his 136th Posthumous Birthday
In the early 20th century, a Nigerian painter, Aina Onabolu, born this day, 13th September, in 1882 in Ijebu-Ode in present day Ogun State of Nigeria, was the first artist of his generation to deliberately and successfully break away from…
From Modupeola Fadugba’s Exhibition, ‘Dreams from the Deep End’
The much awaited Modupeola Fadugba’s ‘Dreams from the Deep End’ curated by Katherine Finerty opened at Gallery 1957 in Accra, Ghana on the 25th of August and will run through 31 October 2018. Created during the artist’s residency at the…
Today, We Celebrate the 86th Birthday of the Living Legend, Bruce Onobrakpeya. Here are 6 Iconic Artworks from Each Decade of his Studio Practice
Bruce Onobrakpeya, one of Africa’s art renaissance masters, was born this day, 30th August 1932. To commemorate this birthday, I look at six of his works and their interesting backstories from my favorite Onobrakpeya book, The Storyteller of Agbarha-Otor: Bruce…
Juliet Ezenwa Pearce’s ‘Beyond 2018’ is a Respite from the Expositions of Gloom
Seth Godin, the American author, once said that “Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.” Juliet Ezenwa Maja-Pearce’s exhibition is an…
Looking at the Expressive Paintings of Obi Chigozie
I first saw Obi Chigozie’s paintings at SAO and the Muse 3 exhibition earlier this month at SAO Café. I didn’t pay them much attention but they stayed with me. When I came across her works again online, I found…