Tag: Africa

Global Art Exhibition โ€œStillnessโ€: Echoes of Humanity in a Restless World

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Trauma leaves many traces, but not always in the form of visible pain. More often it lingers as silence: a frozen state of emotional detachment, an absence that resists articulation. The September group exhibition Stillness, presented by 34 Gallery in partnership with SimukaAfrica.org (SAYA), invites artists across continents to interpret this complex aftermath. The exhibition gathers a diverse roster of participating artists whose works span visual art, photography, digital media, and poetry. Together, they render the contours of stillness in its many forms.

African Artist Sekoto Shatters Expectations at Auction, Selling for Over Half a Million USDโ€”Four Times the Estimate

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The late South African artist Gerard Sekoto has once again proven his lasting impact on the art world, with his masterpiece The Artistโ€™s Brother selling for an astonishing ยฃ406,000 ($528,000) at Bonhamsโ€™ Modern & Contemporary African Art saleโ€”more than four times its original estimate of ยฃ100,000-150,000 ($130,000-195,000).

Duct-Taped Banana Sells for $6.2 Million vs. 6.2 Million Children Die from Starvation Each Year

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A banana duct-taped to a wall has just sold for $6.2 million at Sothebyโ€™s in New York, an event hailed by art critics as a record-breaking triumph. But as headlines celebrate this bizarre spectacle of wealth, one must confront an unsettling parallel: every year, 6.2 million children die from starvation, mostly in Africa. Thatโ€™s over 17,000 children a day. While crypto millionaires and provocateurs play with their money in the name of โ€œart,โ€ over 700 million people around the world go to bed hungry. Thereโ€™s something deeply rotten in our global culture when a piece of duct tape and a banana is valued more than the lives of millions dying from preventable causes.

African Artists Show Strong Results at Auction: William Kentridge Smashes Estimate

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A recent auction at Bonhams in London showcased the dynamic and rising value of Modern and Contemporary African Art, concluding with total sales of ยฃ2,439,400 (approximately $2,976,068). The event featured prominent works, including William Kentridge’s Monument I, which soared past expectations, selling for ยฃ483,000 (about $589,260) against its estimate of ยฃ200,000โ€“ยฃ300,000. Kentridge’s evocative charcoal piece, rooted in his Drawings for Projection series, epitomizes his narrative-driven approach that intertwines historical introspection with striking visual artistry. Irma Stern’s Zululand and significant pieces by Ben Enwonwu and Marlene Dumas further emphasized the auction’s success, underscoring the burgeoning global recognition and deepening collector interest in African art’s profound heritage and contemporary vibrancy.

Amref Honors Artist Kehinde Wiley with The Rees Visionary Award at ArtBall 2024

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Celebrated African-American artist Kehinde Wiley is set to be honored with the prestigious Rees Visionary Award at this year’s ArtBall 2024, hosted by Amref Health Africa (Amref), the leading healthcare organization on the African continent. Known for his groundbreaking portraits that reimagine people of color in the classical style of Old Master paintings, Wiley has captured global attention for his iconic works, including the portrait of former U.S. President Barack Obama displayed at the National Portrait Gallery.

Tretchikoff’s Missing “Lost Orchid” Re-emerges at Bonhams African Art Sale In London

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It is considered to be one of Vladimir Tretchikoffโ€™s great masterpieces and is one of the best-known and most reproduced of his works. Yet for years his Lost Orchid was itself considered lost. Having not been seen in public since it was acquired from the artist in 1955, the painting has finally re-emerged and will now be offered at Bonhamsโ€™ Modern and Contemporary African Art sale on 27 March at New Bond Street, London. It has an estimate of ยฃ150,000 – 200,000.

Art Struggle in Africa – Zimbabwean Artist Shares His Life Story of Perseverance

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The story of Dumisani Ndlovu is one of hardship, perseverance, and passion. Born and raised on a substance farm in a rural area in Zimbabwe, Dumisani’s natural talent for art was evident from a young age. Despite the challenges of farm life, he continued to draw and create using materials found in the bush. After attending art classes, he eventually graduated from the Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre and fell in love with the craft under the guidance of a Canadian artist. Although he struggled financially, he never gave up on his dream and continued to work tirelessly to perfect his craft. Today, Dumisani is a well-respected artist whose work is inspired by nature and tells his own story.

SANTAFRIKA Exhibition by Sant’Era and Sabrina Poli lands in Kenya on the Picturesque Island of Manda

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Experience iconic shots featuring young Kenyan women dressed in original couture dresses from the well-known Maison Martin Margiela – Artisanal and Comme de Garรงons collections!

After the great success of the preview in 2022 in Rome, the SANTAFRIKA exhibition conceived by Sant’Era with the shots of visual designer Sabrina Poli lands in Kenya on the suggestive Manda Island inside the Blue Empire Cottage from 8 until 15 March 2023. On display will be a selection of about twenty photographs, printed on aluminum, featuring young Kenyan women dressed in original couture dresses from the well-known Maison Martin Margiela – Artisanal and Comme de Garรงons collections.

Amref Health Africaโ€™s ArtBall and Auction Honors Artist Julie Mehretu and the Power of Ethiopian Youthย 

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On February 25, 2023 at 26 Bridge in Brooklyn, NY, Amref Health Africa will host their annual ArtBall eventย  and adjoining art auction, creating a connection between African culture and philanthropy to celebrate andย  highlight the talent of the African continent. This year Amref Health Africa will honor world-renownedย  Ethiopian artist Julie Mehretu with the Rees Visionary Award.ย 

ArtBall features a Contemporary African, Pan-African, and Black art auction, entertainment, food andย  beverages from award-winning Black-owned vendors, an installation, and an award ceremony, and has grownย  from just over 300 attendees to nearly 800, with an emphasis on the African diaspora. Notable hosts and guestsย  have included Solange, Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys, Chris Rock, Antwaun Sargent, Kimberly Drew, Hank Willisย  Thomas, Isolde Brielmaier, Shantell Martin, Nina Chanel Abney, Jack Shainman, Young Paris, and many more.ย 

Dionn Reneรฉ, artist of ‘The Woman King’ film poster, paints Queen Diambi โ€” the real-life ‘Woman King’ | VIDEO

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Dionn Reneรฉ is recognized for her work as a fine artist, graphic designer, and photographer throughout the entertainment industry. She has painted portraits of Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, and Maya Angelou, who displayed her portrait in her office. This year Dionn has been named โ€˜Selected Creatorโ€™ by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. and Columbia Tristar Marketing Group, Inc. for usage of her original artwork
in the global marketing campaign for the film, ‘The Woman King’.

The recently released Hollywood Blockbuster movie ‘The Woman King’ created a unique opportunity for Reneรฉ, an already internationally recognized artist, to meet and paint an original portrait for the real-life ‘Woman King’ โ€” Queen Diambi.