RECENT AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS.

By Nii B. Andrews.

Last week, Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips all held their contemporary art evening sales in London—or London and Paris, as was the case for the two bigger houses.

These sales featured CAA and there were many interesting results especially during the day sales when young lions cut their teeth on their way to becoming art world superstars.

Here are a few results.

First, the Ivorian artist, Aboudia – who is now domiciled in Brooklyn, had a canvas crowded with figures and text. 

It was titled LE PETIT CHIEN ROUGE and went under the hammer at Sotheby’s Day Auction on Oct 22.

The pre auction estimate was USD 15.6 – 23.4 K; it sold for USD 98.4 K over 4 x the pre auction estimate.

Second, at the same auction, the Kenyan born artist Michael Armitage had a portrait of a school mate that he executed when he was only 17 years old.

The preauction high estimate was USD 26 K; it attracted 56 bidders and finally sold for USD 571 K almost 20 x its estimate.

It was only this February that Armitage made his auction debut at Sotheby’s with the 2015 massive painting THE CONSERVATIONISTS, which sold for USD1.52 million, more than 21 times its high estimate.

Quite obviously, Armitage is now sizzling.

Third, the Ghanaian artist Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe with his fresh portraiture style continues to make waves.

Philips auctioned a Quaicoe painting that incorporated distinctive accessorial elements, thus referencing Jan Vermeer’s iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring, albeit imparted with a modern twist and challenging rigid gendered perceptions.

The painting was executed in June 2019 and titled BLACK STRIPES ON WHITE.

With a preauction high estimate at USD 39 K, it sold at USD 122 K.

Also at the same Philips auction, was Portia Zvavahera who is new to the secondary sales market. 

“RISING FROM THE UNKNOWN”, is only the second work by the artist to hit the auction block. 

The first was offered in July when “Pakatangira Rudo (Where Love Began)” (2014) sold in a virtual live auction at Strauss & Co., in Johannesburg for 352,780 rand (about USD 21.4 K).

Zvavahera was born in Juru, Zimbabwe, and currently lives and works in Harare. Her work often stems from dreams. “Rising From the Unknown” depicts a central figure encircled by radiating lines.

The painting is part of a body of work “concerned with a longing for spiritual transcendence, freedom from the ongoing cycle of human suffering.”