Take An Enriching Journey Around Africa By Visiting The Curatorial Voices Preview Exhibition

Collectors can preview works in this ambitious auction from Wednesday, 14 February 2024 at Strauss & Co’s newly refurbished Cape Town gallery. 

The preview exhibition gathers work that spans 175 years of art history by artists from Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. Artists represented in Curatorial Voices: African Landscapes, Past and Present include the celebrated abstract painter Dr Esther Mahlangu, whose much-anticipated retrospective, Then I Knew I was Good at Painting, opens to the public at Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, on 18 February 2024.

Organised by Jean le Clus-Theron and Leigh Leyde of Strauss & Co, Curatorial Voices: African Landscape, Past and Present includes much that will astonish. Cinga Samson’s 2017 painting Hliso Street V (estimate R2-3m / $105 000-157 000) is a highly important work that introduced his globally acclaimed portrait style. J.H. Pierneef’s 1929 composition Church Street, Tulbagh (estimate R1.5-2.5m / $78 500-131 000) is a culturally important street scene deriving from the artist’s peak period. 

There are also important works by Jake Aikman, Zander Blom, Kudzanai Chiurai, Ablade Glover, David Goldblatt, Moshekwa Langa, Bronwyn Katz, William Kentridge, Thameur Mejri, Sam Nhlengethwa, Thania Petersen, Thierry Oussou, Owusu-Ankomah, Usha Seejarim and Gerard Sekoto. Collectors are directed to Claude Bouscharain’s stunning painting, Trapping the Sea (estimate R80 000 – 120 000 / $4 222 – 6 334), which records the construction of the Sea Point Pavilion and Pool, a much-loved Cape Town landmark. Durant Sihlali’s monotype depicting the Kruger National Park bushveld circa the 1980s (estimate R5 000 – 7 000 / $265 – 370) is another work embodying collectability and value. 

“I’m really looking forward to presenting Curatorial Voices: African Landscape, Past and Present to collectors and international visitors to Cape Town,” says Jean le Clus-Theron, Head of Sale, Strauss & Co. “This auction is a wonderful opportunity to view art from across the African continent. We have collaborated with five African art experts – Ugoma Ebilah, Nkgopoleng Moloi, Azu Nwagbogu, Azza Satti and Camilla van Hoogstraten – who share in the company’s vision of a robust and interconnected secondary market on the African continent. They provided invaluable input to our showcase of important artists, past and present, working with the landscape as subject.”

Ugoma Ebilah is an independent curator based in Nigeria. Nkgopoleng Moloi is an independent curator and critic based in South Africa. Azu Nwagbogu is founder and director of the African Artists’ Foundation, Nigeria. Azza Satti is an independent curator based in Kenya. Camilla van Hoogstraten, is head of sales at Latitudes Online, South Africa.

“This project, poised at the intersection of art and history, offers a unique platform to explore and celebrate the richness of African landscapes through the lenses of distinguished modernist and contemporary artists,” says Leigh Leyde, Head of Sale, Strauss & Co. “The work in Curatorial Voices: African Landscape, Past and Present highlights the diverse cultural, historical and environmental factors that have shaped artistic representation of the African landscape. By including new voices and perspectives, Strauss & Co aims to deepen the understanding and appreciation of African art among collectors and art lovers. We also aim to underscore the dynamic role of African art within the global art landscape.”

Adds Jean le Clus-Theron: “We are delighted that the preview exhibition will coincide with the international Art Business Conference to be hosted at our Cape Town offices. The Curatorial Voices project is an excellent platform for networking and developing a deeper appreciation of artistic practices across the African continent.”

The second edition of Art Business Conference, sponsored by iTOO Artinsure, will take place at Strauss & Co’s Cape Town offices, on Wednesday, 14 February 2024, from 2-5pm. The event comprises two panels of expert voices moderated by Riah Pryor, Journalist and Author, London. The panels will consider “The Art of Collection Management: Caring for your art, preventing theft and identifying fakes and forgeries” and “The African Art Landscape: Dissolving Boundaries.”

Curatorial Voices: African Landscape, Past and Present concludes with a live auction on Monday, 19 February 2024 at 7pm CAT in Strauss & Co’s Cape Town saleroom. 

www.straussart.co.za