Saturday 24 May 2014

Grillo, Babatunde make record sales at Bonhams’ Africa Now auction


Sold for £80,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £30,000 to £5000, a painting, Woman With Gele has given Nigerian master, Yusuf Adebayo Cameron Grillo (b. 1934), his world auction record, Bonhams stated.
Also, the same artist’s 1972 painting The Flight, lot 42 sold for £62,500 at the just held Bonhams’ Africa Now auction in London.

African Woman with Gele by Yusuf Grillo
But something is not exactly right with the Woman With Gele title given the Grillo painting: the headdress is not a gele (the Yoruba ladies head gear). One doubts if the artist himself actually titled the work.

The painting, The Flight' depicts a young family in native Yoruba dress, seated on a bicycle. The artist began the work during the Civil War, and the sight of civilians abandoning their homes to escape the soldiers reminded Grillo of the flight of the Holy Family from Israel to Egypt: a saw can be seen along with their baggage; a reminder of Joseph's profession as a carpenter.
Sculptor, Bunmi Babatunde, also made a record sale with (£31,250). Other impressive sales include a 3D triptych by Peju Alatise (£17,500), a market scene by Ablade Glover (£15,000), a chair made of decommissioned weapons by Goncalo Mabunda (£10,000), a coffin in the form of a Porsche by Paa Joe (£6,500) and paintings by Amon Kotei (£9,375), Aboudia (£9,375) and Uzo Egonu (£9,375).
But the most valuable picture in the sale was lot 67, the 1976 oil painting 'Princes of Mali' by Ben Enwonwu, which sold for £92,500. Other notable results include his paintings 'Ogolo' (£67,300) and 'Workers in the Fields' (£35,250) and sculptures 'Anyanwu' (£64,900) and 'Africa Dances' (£35,000).
Hannah O'Leary, Bonhams Head of Contemporary African Art stated: "Since our inaugural Africa Now auction just five years ago, this market has gone from strength to strength. While artists from at least 15 African countries were represented, the top prices were reserved for the best pieces by the Nigerian Masters, which seems appropriate for a country celebrating their centenary and that recently became Africa's largest economy".
A wooden sculpture by Ghanaian artist El Anatsui (born 1944) titled 'The Clan' sold for £27,500. Now an internationally celebrated sculptor, his work is displayed in public institutions around the world, and a major touring exhibition of his work is currently on show at the Bass Museum of Art, Miami, Florida.
On Monday 19 May Bonhams hosted a charity auction of contemporary Angolan art. Angola received international recognition last year, when their pavilion at the Venice Biennale was awarded the prestigious Leone d'Oro. Such is the interest in this emerging art market, from international art collectors and speculators alike, that fiercely competitive bidding on the night resulted in a 'white glove sale', with 100% of the lots selling.

Tokunbo Pores…Exposing culture imbalance in African lace


By Tajudeen Sowole
Still exploring fabrics of ancient, modern and contemporary periods, in visual context, Victoria Udondian just exposed the undercurrents of the African lace identity via the art space of Switzerland.

One of Victoria Udondian’s works from Tokunbo Pores in Switzerland.

Udondian who was on a two-months residency in the Scandinavian country's Villa Atrauli City has probed into the forces of creativity and trade behind the so-called African lace. In fact, she had a solo exhibition titled Tokunbo Pores, which marked the end of her visit.

African lace as a crucial part of contemporary fashion in Nigeria is not new to a country like Switzerland - where some of the lace fabrics are imported into Africa. However, Udondian's Tokunbo Pores appeared to have inspired quite some knowledge exchanges, regarding the unknown social factors and trade secrets behind the lace phenomenon.                           

The theme of the exhibition was inspired by the origin of the lace fabric and the peculiar holes or perforations characteristics, Udondian explained shortly on her return from the residency. "Tokunbo means from the overseas,” she informed her Swiss audience. “And the pores are among the common features of lace fabrics "

One would recall that clothing in lace fabrics has been christened all sorts of names in southwest Nigeria where it is mostly worn. For example, when the perforations are wider, one of such names given to the lace fabric is Olowo rin ihoriwo (the wealthy walks naked). In the 1960s through the early 1970s when lace was associated with class statement and was very expensive, few people could afford it. And despite being given a bad name after it was made more popular by a notorious, but executed armed robbery kingpin, Folorunsho Babatunde who wore constantly during his trial, lace’s popularity continued its ascendancy till date.

For Udondian, her visits to the factories in Switzerland and Austria where some of the imported lace fabrics were produced was an important part of her "curiousity" into the nearly half a century old lace culture and trade.  Her visits, specifically, included factories in Lustenau, Austria and St. Gallen, Switzerland where the embroidered textiles are produced, largely for the Nigerian markets "My first trip was to HOH Hoferhecht Stickereien Lustenau, and Claudio La Cioppa, the General Manager was very pleasant, taking me round the factory and introducing me to the different departments and their processes.”

Her interaction with the manufacturers as well as her thoughts on the popularity of the lace fabrics among Nigerians informs the concept of the exhibition. One of the works, a near floor to roof installation, stresses the aesthetics of the perforations or pores in the lace fabrics just as the designs are of African origin. And if the fabrics have been borrowed by Africans, it was perhaps expected that the dealers would have used the trade opportunity to promote their African origins by asking the manufacturers to add native designs and motifs. Truly, the Nigerian merchants’ choices, according to Udondian, influence the designs of the imported lace. But such choices, she added, are surprisingly and consciously foreign. 

“I was told that the designs are developed between the Nigerian merchants and the company design team, and that the Nigerians don't buy designs with African patterns and icons,. hence deigns are inspired by global patterns and themes,” the artist disclosed. The manufacturers’ experimentation with African designs had failed, Udondian noted. “They tried once to create African patterns and the 'lace' never sold,” she was told. 

However, Udondian thought differently by building African contents into her work. From an assistance of “a box of textiles” given to her by the factories, she “transformed the textile pieces and introduced African icons.'' And more importantly, the weaving technique she applied is celebrates African culture of traditional “textile making dates back to 15th century.”  And the motifs or icons in the work, she explained, are “inspired by nsibidi ancient signs and writing, combined with Swiss magazine designs and content.” The concept, Udonsisan said was aimed at “broadening the content of this textile pieces.” 
    
During Udondian’s residency and exhibition in Switzerland…recently

An exhibition on African lace would be incomplete without fashion contents that popularized the identity. This is perhaps where the lace manufacturers have no influence as the native contents are unavoidably visible. From the native designs such as the male agbada, buba and sokoto, Udondian “created 'paper lace.”  

Udondian’s research on fabrics, particularly of African origin spans over four years across Africa and Europe. She has exhibited some of her works created in visual fabric context in the U.K, Italy and South Africa.  At an Open Studio in Lagos, last year, she shared her experience with artists and art enthusiasts.

In 2011, Udondian was one of two artists selected from 145 young Africans who applied for Venice, Italy-based residency Art Enclosures. A South African, Tamilyn Young was the other beneficiary.

Nuggets of fresh strokes from old palettes



By Tajudeen Sowole
As ten artists trained at the Universal Studios of Art, Iganmu Lagos  exposes to works to mainstream art space, a new window into one of Nigeria's oldest group studios beckons, but in an old frame.
One of the works from Nuggets, Abdullahi Haliru’s Quiet Moment
Abdullahi Haliru, Boma Joe Jim, Efosa Ero, Emeka Nwagbara, Godfrey Eroje, Kehinde Olusola, Niyi Fakeye, Olajide Salako, Olufemi Oyewole and Olusola Fakeye are the emerging faces from Universal Studios of Art whose works of paintings and sculptures under the title Nuggets are showing at Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos from tomorrow till June 7, 2014.

When the chairman and one of the founders of the studios Bunmi Babatunde - while presenting the artists during a preview - said they (the Nuggets artists) "are seen from the eyes of the studios’ founders," his argument synced with the works on display. He added: "over the years, they have imbibed the professionalism of the founders."

While most of the works, understandably, appear like the replicas of paintings and sculptures from the signatures of the studios’ masters like Abiodun Olaku, Babatunde and Bisi Fakeye, few others show traces of creative independence.

The Universal Studios, situated within the vast land of the National Theatre premise is no doubt a prominent resource centre for young artists from the formal and informal trainings across Nigeria for the past two decades. Its reputation as a fountain of standard on the Nigerian art landscape would be sustained by the shades of artists bred.

 However, producing tomorrow’s masters and new faces of the studios is not as much as sacrosanct as the quality of the artists. "For us to ask the artists selected for the Nuggets show to come out into the public as a group, we have confidence in them," Olaku assured.

While collection and art appreciation space of Lagos art is expanding, the signatures are not exactly keeping pace with the expansion; young artists, are increasingly replicating the masters’ identity. Such mimicking, Olaku agreed, are not hidden, even among the Nuggets. But he predicted that "as time goes on they will define their identity."

Mentorship comes in various challenges. The exhibiting Universal Studios artists have evolved “through proper supervision,” Monday Akhidue explained.

And the Mydrim Gallery as the studios’ choice to show Nuggets appears like a deliberate one. Mydrim had shown the founding members and other leaders in group exhibitions. Curator at Mydrim, Mrs Sinmidele Adesanya recalled how the studios emerged in the late 1980's when the founding members rented space at the National Theatre, Iganmu.

“Over the years, many young artists went on professional pilgrimage to this rented space which eventually became a hub for artists and art lovers.”

As a gallery that has been tracking the artists since 1995 when the founding members and others members formally registered the studios, Mydrim noted that the group have been assisting young artists, “usually with limited resources to develop their talent.”

And on Nuggets, Adesanya explained:that it “aims to showcase the exceptional works of the young artists and the high level of professional training available at the Universal Studios.”

Supporting their skills with few literary statements, the Nuggets of Universal Studios of Arts show how prepared they are to face the world.

Haliru: All men are born with different abilities to impact their environment. I believe that the creative ability to produce beautiful art is a gift of providence.

Joe Jim: For me, it has always been about ‘leaving my footprints on the sand of time’.

Efosa: Art offers me a unique pedestal for personal projection, realization and fulfillment. Empowerment and prosperity are added benefits.

Nwagbara: Art for me is a way of life, an art we must all learn to appreciate, be you an artist or not and in the process leave a legacy worthy of acknowledgment and emulation by coming generations.

Orojie: Creativity is from the Almighty, to excel is Grace, self-belief and commitment.

Olusola: My work is fundamentally inspired by the natural and induced dynamism of my environment and nature at large.

Niyi: God has made us in His image; likewise, he has shared His talent to few, among them I found myself.

Salako: My art is an embodiment of thought and process, premise on passion, dedication and vision.

Oyewole: Work hard in silence, let success make the noise.

Olukola: God is the greatest Artist and we only imitate  Him; it only makes sense that the Artist gets closer to Him.

Onobrakpeya, Oshinowo boost appreciation value at TKMG auction



By Tajudeen Sowole
Despite not producing a new art auction record, the recently held TKMG auction had on display one of the richest gathering of modern and contemporary African works in recent times.

From a rare Ablade Glover, Women, to Landscape by Kolade Oshonowo and Bruce Onobrakpeya’s deep etching, Dance in the Bush and several others from young and established artists, the auction showed that the ascendancy of art appreciation in Africa is well complemented by increased interest in the secondary market.

Held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the auction also had an impressive attendance for the TKMG auction, which is making its first outing outside the traditional Terra Kulture venue – a few minutes drive from the new hotel.

The auction took off with quite a steady flow of sales until it began to decline midway. And after the auctioneer, Yinka Akinkugbe’s hammer fell on the last of the 90 lots, there were indications that some bidders "suddenly showed interests” in some unsold pieces and “bought more works." At the end of the auction, a total of "58 successful lots were sold,” curator at Terra Kulture, Ronke Akinyele stated. The figure, she explained, represents about 64% of total lots presented as Onobrakpeya led the list of the top sales.

Lot 42, Dance in the Bush by Bruce Onobrakpeya

“Total sales is N38, 510, 000 million naira with top of the sales, Lot 42 by Onobrakpeya sold for N3,650, 000; Lot 61 by El Anatsui sold for N3,050,000 million naira; and Lot 76 by Kolade Oshinowo for N2,200,000 million naira.” Akinyele added that the total sales represent 64% of lots presented." Oshinowo added another impressive sale as his mixed media of fabrics and oil on canvas titled At the Party was sold for N2.2 million naira.

At the auction house’s last edition, which had Oshinowo’s Royal Procession (32 x 60 in, 2011) sold for N3.9 million, a total of N47 million naira was recorded, which was an improvement on the previous year’s sales of N38, 125, 000, 00.

Still on the high standard of the lots on display, Coalescence II by Segun Aiyesan, A Gem, bust from Patrick Agose, Family Ties Series of Aimufa Osagie, Diseye Tantua’s No Wahala, and the Alley series of Lekan Onabanjo, among others added to the richness of the auction.

What perhaps could have made another Nigerian record for Anatsui did not come to pass as Generation Mix a wood on aluminium estimated at N16 million naira as well as a triptych wood Untitled, dated 1987 and estimated at N12 million naira were unsold.

However, the seventh outing of the TKMG auction was also a good day for young artists Oyewole Olufemi and Tayo Olayode whose works Self Contain, Mixed Feelings and The Higher the Hotter radiate masterly strokes.

As the auction house combined new and and old artists, the lots for this year’s auction, according to Bolanle Austen-Peters were spread in "20 percent for the masters and 15 for the new artists,” while the rest slot goes to the regular and established names.

Ahead of the auction, Austen-Peters and Sinmidele Adesanya of TKMG assured that the auction continues the mission of the partnership "to lead the Nigerian art market into the world stage and build investor confidence in the art market," generally.  They noted that the past six auctions have "helped in promoting new collectors, who are inspired by the activities on the auction floor."

An unspecified number of charity lots were also sold for the TKMG’s new auction venue, Intercontinental Hotel project Shelter in a Storm.

Tuesday 20 May 2014

American pastor jailed over faked Damien Hirst


An American pastor, based in Miami was sentenced on Monday to six months in jail after convicted of trying to sell fake Damien Hirst works to an undercover policeman.

Experts in art provenance say the signature on the back of this spin painting does not match the artist's handwriting.
According to reports, the paster, Kevin Sutherland, 46, had faced a possible seven years jail in the attempted larceny case. He was charged of knowingly trying to sell five fake Hirsts for $185,000 to an undercover detective.
But Sutherland who is of the Mosaic Miami Church in Florida dismissed the sentence as he planned to appeal. He claimed that he was just an art enthusiast who got was misled about the provenance of the work.

Sunday 18 May 2014

Egypt drags China to UNESCO over a huge Sphinx copy in Chinese village


The modern Sphinx replica in China

Reports from Egypt disclosed that the country was planning to complain to the UNESCO about a replica of Sphinx in China.
Egypt’s antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said he will urge Egypt's delegate to the UNESCO, Mohamed Sameh Amr, to file the complaint.



Few days ago, The Mail reported that a replica of Sphinx has been mounted in Hebel Province, China.

The original limestone statue sits in front of the Pyramid of Khafre on the Giza Plateau, Egypt. The Chinese remake has a reinforced steel framework and a concrete body. And more interesting the artist of the Chinese fake Sphinx copied its broken nose.
The original Sphinx in Egypt
In a statement, the Minister said Egypt will demand the UN body to implement the UNESCO Convention signed in 1972 on protecting the world cultural and natural heritage.

"We will address UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, to inform he"We will address UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, to inform her that the re-production of Sphinx harms the cultural heritage of Egypt where the statue is registered on the World Heritage List", said the Minister.

Bashorun's tracking of Nigeria Evolving Through Waste,


By Tajudeen Sowole      
  

Raqib Bashorun’s wood and metal work titled Greed

The unprecedented mismanagement of human and material resources, which Nigeria is currently going through is the thematic focus of design artist and sculptor, Raqib Bashorun.

Expressed in sculptural designs of wood, aluminium and metal, the artist's new body of work titled Evolving Through Waste, opened as an exhibition, yesterday, and ending, May 31, 2014 at Omenka Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos. The show summarises a 17-years-old journey of the artist's tracking of a wasteful nation.

Bashorun’s largely machine aided works speak to government, individuals and the society at large via the analogy of the prodigal son. From successive governments' penchants for lack of accountability and disregard for human dignity, to individuals' mismanagement of scarce resources, Bashorun's bold themes speak to a failing nation of declining values.

“We waste just about everything in this country; spiritual, material, labor, manpower, lives, energy, time, mind, money, words; the list is inexhaustible," Bashorun argues.

Such works as Frozen Promise, in wood, aluminium and glass emits aesthetics, but radiates a chilling failure of the people's inability to apply their resources in positive ways; Greed, a depiction in the metal grip of wood and aluminium explains how the people in leadership position acquire what they don't really need; and Peace Meal series, a set of works combining aluminium and stainless mounted on wood, advise self restrains.

Some of the other works in the list of 20 floor and wall exhibits include Black Gold, Cat Walk, Contemporary Charm, Ripple Bubble and Waste Gift. And in Cat Walk, which is a reenactment of runway in semi-abstract forms, Bashorun warns about inability to run away from "our challenges." The four pieces of stylised figures that appear to present a viewer with an all round perspective, indeed show that no matter which side you turn, one cannot escape the walkers. “However we may pretend, we cant run away from these problems.”

Coincidentally, Bashorun's show is coming at a time when the incompetence of the leadership of Nigeria is being exposed to the rest of the world. In fact, the headlines coming from the foreign press, in the past few weeks, were not very pleasant. For examples, 'Nigerian government irresponsible in protecting Youth, Hilary Clinton'; Jonathan leads a corrupt government, by New York Times; Jonathan is incompetent, The Economists, among other headlines from the foreign media that speak volumes of leadership failure in Nigeria.

Bashorun's Evolving Through Waste is not exactly a work coming from a later day activist. He must have been tracking his country's wasteful history for quite a long time, so suggest the list of past exhibitions that shared similar themes.

He recalls how he was "touched by our indifference to our wasteful life styles, " and started the journey as far back as 1997 with a show titled Full Moon on Waste Station. Given the current state of Nigeria, Bashorun notes that “maybe it was then just a mere child play in comparison with multiplicity of what constitute waste around us today.”

He explains that his advancing through the themes, over the decades was premised on “the gospel of cleansing all aspects of our life of this cancerous attitude.”

And to express the mission better, combining wastes materials from metal and aluminium, he argues completes “the gospel.”

Extracts from his Artist Statement reads: “I particularly loved the challenge of working with the soda can tabs considering their sizes and the quantity required to create a piece. What I enjoyed most however, was the innovative and time consuming technique of stapling them one after the other to the supporting forms. This technique gives me the confidence of durability and I hoped that over time, the anticipated changes in appearance of the staple pins if any will enhance the depth of the works. I also hoped that the dazzling visual sensation created by the nature of aluminum will draw viewers into the pieces and create a web of connection for them.”

Bashorun is an M. Ed., Art Education and MFA holder from University of Missouri- Columbia, 1998 and 2002 respectively. He was a lecturer at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos (Yabatech)’s School of Art, Design and Printing from 1986 to 2008.

He was a Visiting Assistant Professor, Fine Arts Department, University of Missouri- Columbia, in 2003.     

Saturday 17 May 2014

Ten African authors race for Wole Soyinka Literature Prize


Othuke Ominiaboha, Akin Bello, Soji Cole, Comfort Adesuwa Ero, Toyin Abiodun, Isaac Attah Ogezi, Moshood Oba, Mayowa Saja, Wumi Raji and Akin Adejumo are the authors in the race for the the 2014 edition of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.

The long list of the fifth edition of the prestigious award has been announced by the organizers, Globacom. According to the organizers,  the long list was drawn from a total of 163 entries submitted from 17 African countries in the Drama genre.

A shortlist will be announced for the biennale prize in June and the grand prize winner is expected to emerge on July 5 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

From Open Studio to Dialogue of Forms, artists search for new visual language


By Tajudeen Sowole
Four months after the Dr Kunle Adeyemi-led group of artists hosted art community in Lagos at Open Studio-1, their mission of advancing the skills of members appears to have found additional tasks of generating new  visual language.

Now known as Visual Explorators, the group makes its debut art exhibition titled Dialogue with Forms, opening from May 24, and showing till June, 7, 2014 at Reconnect Gallery, Ebute Meta, Lagos Mainlkand.



Aje Ogungunuso Series by Dr Kunle Adeyemi


In January Adeyemi had led 11 artists in the Open Studio-1 gathering held in his studio in Mushin.

Artists of the Visual Explorators include Adeyemi, KK Olojo-Kosoko, Tunde Oguntuyo, Biodun Okemakinde, Adetola Adenuga, Lukmon Jimoh, Abiola Adeyemi, Bashir Kalejaiye, Olushegun Oduyele, Dayo Adeyemi, Bodurin Abiodun and Aremu Monsuru

During a preview at Reconnect Gallery, Adeyemi disclosed that the group’s Dialogue of Forms was inspired by the need to revisit, in visual context, African signs and motifs. He noted that African written signs of ancient times that represented the people’s means of communication have disappeared.

Adeyemi whose work is populated with African signs listed the area of coverage of the Explorators as “sharpening our intelligence” for strong intellectual articulation as well “understanding our environment.” He also noted that the exhibition is coming at a time when art for aesthetics appears incomplete to meet the challenges of contemporary times.  “Many have argued that art should not only be fine, but message-driven such that it is relevant to the society.”

 He therefore assured that Dialogue of Forms will have on display works “that are set to engage the viewers in some sort of conversation and discussion to the understanding of certain issues of our society.”  

 For the host, Reconnect Art Gallery the proprietor, Mrs Olayemi Madu stated that the gallery “is pleased to be associated with the Visual Explorators.” Recalling that the purpose of the setting up the gallery was to support young artists who need a platform to launch their creative potentials, Madu hoped “that this opportunity given the group will create a big and desired impact in the art career and professional life of these artists.”

Reconnect which is less than one year old is already attracting art collectors on the Mainland and beyond as well as established and young artists.

Madu, who is also a trained artist noted that there was need to offer opportunity for graduates of art institutions produced every year. “There is need to create more of these kinds of opportunity for budding graduate artists in the country. In an attempt to sustain the practice potentials of such artists, Reconnect Art Gallery also provide studio space where the artists can carry out their artistic creativities.”

Areas of focus of the gallery, according to Madu include Organising programmes that encourage skill acquisition among students of secondary and other special institution; ;Organize art competitions to develop potential art talents in the society; carrry out outdoor exhibitions and execute special projects and commissions.