Aspire Art will impress the art world with its first auction of 2022 in Cape Town. The consignment of 111 works by 74 artists boasts a selection of highly collectable art historical treasures.
Rare and important pieces by artists – including William Kentridge, Marlene Dumas and Robert Hodgins – presents collectors with a unique opportunity to add significant pieces to their collections. Aspire is deeply committed to promoting art from the African continent and included on the auction are renowned artists from Zimbabwe, Uganda, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, the DRC and, of course South Africa.
Headlining the sale is an intensely expressive charcoal drawing by William Kentridge. Drawing from Mine is one of 18 drawings produced as a still for the artist’s 1991 animated film Mine. Early drawings from Kentridge’s films, like this one, are extremely scarce, highly sought-after, and rarely become available to the market. Drawing from Mine is expected to excite much interest given that Aspire has a long and impressive history in selling top works by this important artist. Notably, Aspire captured the South African auction record for a work from the same film, Drawing from Mine (Soho with Coffee Plunger and Cup), which sold for R5,456,640 in 2017. The following year, in 2018, Aspire broke the world record for a drawing by the artist, achieving R6,600,400 for Drawing from Stereoscope (Double page, Soho in two rooms).
William Kentridge, Drawing from Mine (1991).
Aspire Art has also made excellent progress in its drive to grow the market for African art. Over the past 18 months, Aspire has brought 50 new African artists to auction and set 60 new African records. Staying true to this goal, over 20% of the works on the March sale are from African countries – outside of South Africa. Of particular interest are Zimbabwean artists Misheck Masamvu’s monumental painting Bottoms Up and Moffat Takadiwa’s Mr Consumer 2 – a marvelous sculptural form constructed using refuse materials and litter from disposals around Harare. Also on offer are paintings by Tanzanian, George Lilanga and Zemba Luzamba and Joseph (Cheri Cherin) Kinkonda from the DRC.
Misheck Masamvu, Bottoms up (2015).
African photography is also well-represented. Of particular interest are two photographers whose works Aspire is debuting at auction in South Africa. A large-scale, bold and political work Destruction from contemporary photographer, Ayana Jackson’s Poverty Porn series and two black and white images from the 1970s (printed in 2019) by documentary photographer Paul Kodjo – often referred to as the ‘father of Ivorian photography’. Also on offer are works by renowned South African photographers David Goldblatt and Jac de Villier, as well as works by established contemporary photographers Zanele Muholi and Guy Tillim.
Ayana Jackson, Don’t hide the blade/How do you think their woman dress (2013).
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Contemporary African art is undoubtedly well-represented but lovers of modern works from South Africa also have much to look forward to. Notably, four oil paintings by George Pemba, whose demand has been increasing – so much so that Aspire Managing Director, Ruarc Peffers, speculates that his status will become comparable to Gerard Sekoto’s. Other modern treasures include a fantastic gouache, Embrace by Peter Clarke, two sensitive portraits by Neville Lewis and works by François Krige, Eleanor Esmonde-White, Gregoire Boonzaier, Cecil Skotnes and Walter Battiss.
The live auction will take place from Aspire’s exquisite gallery space at 37A Somerset Road in De Waterkant. Buyers are invited to join for in-room bidding or make use of telephone or Aspire’s real-time online bidding platforms.
The preview exhibition will be on display in the gallery from Friday 11 March and can be viewed from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.
