Malangatana painting ‘Waiting for Peace’ surpasses expectations at Sotheby’s

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Malangatana painting ‘Waiting for Peace’ surpasses expectations at Sotheby’s

2:22 CAT | 04 Apr 2019

Photo: Sotheby's

A painting by the Mozambican painter Malangatana, entitled ‘Waiting for Peace’ and signed on the reverse by the then-president of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, sold at auction for US$21,206 in London on Tuesday, a figure well above estimates.

The 1995 canvas was evaluated at between GBP8,000-12,000 (US$10,440 – US$15,660), but was sold for GBP16,250 pounds (US$21,206) at Sotheby’s Forth sale of Modern and Contemporary African Ar

First exhibited at the International Fair of Mozambique in 1995, the work was signed on the back by several prominent personalities of the time, including, in addition to Chissano, the academic Brazão Mazula, who worked for the Ministry of Education and Culture of Mozambique between 1976 and 1988, and Noel Chicuecue, representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Fund (UNESCO) in Mozambique.

Another Malangatana painting, dated 1991 and titled “Hayini Kasy?” and valued at between GBP5,000-7,000 pounds (US$6,525 – US$9,135), was sold for GBP6,875 (US$8,972).

An untitled canvas by Mozambican Ernesto Shikhani, dated 1992, was sold at the same event for GBP5,625 pounds (US$7,341 ), within its estimate of GBP5,000-7,000 (US$6,525 – US$9,135).

Another painting by Shikani, “The Pope’s Key for Africa” valued at GBP7,000-10,000 pounds (EUR8,140-11,628 euros), remained unsold.

In total, the auction of Modern and Contemporary Art in Africa included 76 works, and although 22 were not sold, and netted GBP2,316,625 pounds (EUR2,711,384 euros), with a tapestry by the Ghanaian artist El Anatsui made from metallic aluminium bottle caps, titled “Zebra Crossing 2”, going for GBP1.1 million pounds ( $1.4 million). The sale coincides with the largest survey exhibition of El Anatsui’s work to date curated by Okwui Enwezor and Chika Okeke-Agulu in Munich and precedes his representation of Ghana at the Venice Biennale later this year.

Hannah O’Leary, Sotheby’s Head of Modern and Contemporary African Art, said: “Exceeding all pre-sale expectations, today’s auction reflects the continued strength of, and appreciation for, the Modern and Contemporary African Art market. Standing at the forefront of the field, Sotheby’s sale saw a multitude of new records for artists from across the African diaspora, including the father of Congolese ‘Popular’ painting Chéri Samba, Moroccan master Hassan El Glaoui, and rising star Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga. We also saw a fantastic result for Ghanaian artist El Anatsui, who will be representing the country for the first time at the Venice Biennale later this year. Today’s auction signals a continued international interest in the category, spanning the African continent and extending across the globe.”