Born in 2016 in response to a growing market demand, the new specialized department "Modern and Contemporary African Art" of Sotheby's is aimed at selecting the work of artists from the African continent.
Hannah O'Leary, Head of Modern and Contemporary Art at Sotheby's, comments: “International attention towards Modern and Contemporary African art is growing considerably as museums, critics and fairs increasingly focus on including art from those regions. African artists, generally overlooked by the secondary market, are finally starting to receive adequate recognition.
The industry's first Sotheby's auction demonstrated that by providing modern and contemporary African artists with an international platform, the response from collectors would be brisk. Participants came from more than 30 countries and more than half of the lots offered achieved a sale price above the highest estimate.
The next edition of the auction will feature a greater focus on contemporary art, offering lots by the best-known African artists working, as well as works by the great masters and pioneers of modern African art.”
Works by artists from the following countries will be presented: Algeria, Morocco (North Africa), Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal (West Africa), Ethiopia, Mozambique (East Africa), Cameroon, Democratic Republic Congo, Gabon (Central Africa), South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe (Southern Africa). The sale will also feature the inclusion of a group of over 10 works from the collection of renowned collectors and art patrons Jerome and Ellen Stern: To Live with Art: Property from the Jerome & Ellen Stern Collection.
