Art works by Nigerian artists Ben Enwonwu (1917-1994), and Bruce Onobrakpeya (born 1932) celebrating Nigerian independence are amongst the highlights of Bonhams Modern & Contemporary African Art sale on 19 October in London.
The 1970 painting Africa Dances by Ben Enwonwu captures the exuberance and freedom of African dance. As a result of Geoffrey Gorer’s 1935 book of the same name, the “Africa Dances” series was born. The magazine, which was a critique of colonial rule, documented masquerade and dance throughout West Africa. Enwonwu was moved by the work while he was a student in England and was obliged to express his thoughts about Nigerian culture and the following effects of colonialism. Africa Dances, which is expected to bring in between £120,000 and £180,00, might be considered as a celebration of Nigerian Independence, which the country had won from the British in 1960.
Negritude, an important early painting by Bruce Onobrakpeya, was painted in oil in 1960. The artwork was a centrepiece of the 1960 Nigerian Art Exhibition organised by the Nigerian Council for the Advancement of Art and Culture. It was created by the artist while he was a student at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology in Zaria. To commemorate Nigeria’s recently proclaimed independence from colonial authority, the show featured works by a variety of artists alongside samples of the cultural and craft practises practised throughout the nation. An estimate of £30,000–50,000 is given for the work.
Negritude, which has a semi-abstract representation of a bird cocking its head back to greet the rising light, might be interpreted as a metaphor for the new day brought about by Nigerian Independence. The title also places the piece in relation to broader discourses on Negritude, a Pan-African movement that opposed European colonial rule and turned to native African customs to proclaim a new, more assertive understanding of Black identity.
Gilles Peppiatt, Bonhams Group Head, Fine Art, U.K, commented: “Both Enwonwu and Onobrakpeya’s works aim to celebrate African culture and in particular the spirit of their birthplace, Nigeria. Africa Dances by Enwonwu and Negritude by Onobrakpeya are both key works by both artists. Celebrating Nigerian Independence, and created 10 years apart, both capture an appreciation of tradition and the past, and optimism for the future.”
Other Nigerian highlights in the sale include:
• Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E, Ututu. Estimate £100,000-150,000
• Demas Nwoko (Nigerian, born 1935), Baba Kokoro. Estimate: £80,000-120,000.
• Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E, Female Form. Estimate: £80,000-120,000
• Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E, Figure with raised arm. Estimate: £60,000-90,000
• Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E, Portrait of Stephen Awokoya. Estimate: £40,000-80,000
• Oluwole Omofemi, (Nigerian, b. 1988), Love. Estimate: £25,000-35,000.
• Oluwole Omofemi, (Nigerian, b. 1988), Portrait of a Lady. Estimate: £25,000-35,000.
(ART DAILY)
