Tuesday 22 November 2011

At N28m, Enwonwu’s Anyanwu is Nigeria’s most prized art piece

 It’s a new art auction record for Nigeria, set in Lagos when bronze sculpture, Anyanwu, by Ben Enwonwu (1921-1994) was sold at N28 million naira.

In May this year, the same artist’s ink on paper work, Untitled held the record at N13.5m, beating the previous holder, Bruce Onobrakpeya’s panel etching, Greater Nigeria, which was sold at N9.2m in 2008.

Anyanwu (Beam of light), produced in 1956
(142.2 cm., excluding the base) was sold at the seventh edition of ArtHouse Contemporary’s auction held at The Wheatbaker, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, two days ago. The same auction house sold Greater Nigeria, but Terra Kulture, another Lagos-based art group sold the same artist’s ink on paper, Untitled.
   
Top Ten for ArtHouse Contemporary Lagos auction

1.      Ben Enwonwu’s Anyanwu (1956, 142.2 cm., excluding the base) N28m

2.       Ben Enwonwu’s Untitled (1980, oil on board, 109.2 x 43.2 cm), N8m.

3.       Ben Enwonwu’s Untitled (1980, cold cast resin, 112 cm), N5.5m

4.       Ben enwonwu’s Untitled ( 1972, oil on canvas, 61 x 51 cm), N4.5m.

5.      Chidi Kwubiri’s Town Crier (2011, acrylic on canvas, 130 x 250 cm. was next at N2.6m.

6.       Kolade Oshinowo’s Koma Village (1987), oil on canvas, 122 x 152.5 cm.) N2.5m.

7.       Akinola Lasekan’s Portrait Of A Man (1956), oil on board, 122 x 85.4 cm. N2m.

8.       Sokari Douglas Camp’s Bucket Heads, (2010), steel, 73 cm., N1.7m.

9.       Ghanaian master Ablade Glover’s Untitled, (2004), oil on canvas, 101.5 x 152.5 cm., N1.7m.

10.  Abiodun Olaku’s Eyo Adimu (1993), oil on canvas, 90 x 68 cm., N1.6m.

Full details on this site soon.


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