By Tajudeen Sowole
(First published Tuesday, March 09, 2010)
O UT of six art auctions held in the past two years, four
have set what appears like benchmark in evaluation of contemporary Nigerian art.
While each of ArtHouse Contemporary's four outings has
clearly shown the difference between auction and art gallery
values of art, the two held by Nimbus Art Centre and
Nokterra hardly drew a line between the two valuations.
At the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, a total sale
of N69, 333, 000 (sixty nine million, three hundred and thirty three thousand Naira), including the buyers' premium, was
recorded for 84 lots during the last of these auctions
organized by the Lagos based auction house, ArtHouse
Contemporary, last week. Under the hammer of United Kingdom
(U.K.) based auctioneer, John Dabney, the sale, according to
Adityta Chellaram of ArtHouse, "represents 87 per cent of
all works for sale." This, he argued "marks a steady
improvement over the sale in April 2009."
And the prospect appeared to be getting higher as Aditya
explained that, "43 Buyers purchased at the auction as some
were first time buyers." Six out of the buyers, he disclosed
were "telephone and absentee bidders from overseas." In the
last two years, sales from each of the six auctions
indicated that quality of the events and not just the works
made a lot of difference: In April 2008, ArtHouse
Contemporary unearthed the high value of Nigerian art with a
surprise sale of about 86 lots at N76m and improved in
November 2008 selling 84 lots at N93, 000,000; Nimbus Art
Centre's auction, December 2008 sold 50 lots at N10m;
ArtHouse Contemporary's April 2009 auction of 69 lots
recorded N67m; last December, Nokterra auction had N7.2m on
about 100 lots. For these auctions however, the caliber of
artists whose works were on sales are mostly the same.
For example, the highest sale recorded for one lot at
Nokterra auction was N450, 000 on Bruce Onorapkeya's St.
Paul (74 x 61cm., 1979 deep etching, plastograph). But at
the third auction of ArtHouse held five months earlier, a
similar piece - size and medium - of the same artist titled
Aro Osomo (Father's Shrine, original plate, 85.4 x 60 cm.
1977) was sold at N1, 650, 000. Although auction houses are
not expected to have the same sales on given category of
artists, the difference, however could either confirm the
value in the context of results from ArtHouse auctions or
unctuate such records; leading to confusion on the true
value of a particular artist's work.
Despite this disparity in evaluations, more auctions are
welcome, painter and gallery operator, Biodun Omolayo
argued. "The more auctions there are, the better for the
artists and collectors as one auction house cannot
accommodate everybody," he said.
Apparently, ArtHouse is one group to watch in this new
outlet of the nation's art. Interestingly, its last outing
has fulfilled the Chief Executive Officer, Kavita
Chelleram's promise that "every artist will be given an
equal opportunity." This much emerged as the event showed
that the younger artists were gradually catching up with the
masters; two artists below 45 years old were among the top
five. Nnenna Okore's Omalicha (clay and burlap, 40 x 80 in.,
2009) at N2.8m and Chidi Kwubiri's Night of Paradise (oil on
canvas 78.5 x 63 in., 2009) at N2.7m were second and third
on the sales.
> In fact, the first lot to hit seven digits at the auction
> was by pop artist, Diseye Tantua, mid 30s. Arguably, one of
> the most highly bid, the work titled Different Different
> Fever (acrylic on canvas, 60 x 18.75 in., 2009) a
> reminiscent of late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti,
> took off from N420, 000 asking price and ended at N1.7m. It
> was indeed a surprise sale as the hall went up in applause
when the hammer finally fell.
Top of the sales was Untitled (oil on board, 44 x 34 in.,
1969) at N4.2m, by Simon Okeke (1937-1969); fourth,
Intimacy, (oil on board 75.75 x 22 in., 1963) at N2.3m, by
Erhabor Emokpae (1934 - 1984); fifth, Untitled, (wood, 58
in., 1991), N2.4m by Ben Osawe. Figures for these lots are
less the buyer's premium of 10 per cent.
Speaking on the results of the auction, art teacher at
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Jerry Buhari agreed
that ArtHouse's last auction, like the previous ones held
has put "the market value of our art in the right
perspective."
Sustaining that value, according to Nike Okundaye is
through more auctions. She hinted that her organisation,
Nike Art Centre is involved in an auction holding at the
centre next month. Visual art, she argued "should take a cue
from Nollywood by making our outlets, particularly the
auction, an all inclusive; young and old artists."
With as many as "500 works from artists, collectors and art
dealers" for the last auction, Chellaram, shortly before the
event, noted that it was a difficult task making the final
180 selections.
Two days ago, Aditya stressed that, "if the results and
response of this sale are any indication, certainly the
market is large enough for more auctions."
Also expected in April is a joint venture between Terra
Kulture and Nimbus 2000 to be known as Golden Jubilee Art
Auction: Celebrating 2000 Years of Afrikan
Creativity. Designed as part of activities to herald the
50th independence anniversary of Nigeria, the organizers are
optimistic that the auction will boost art market in the
country.
"With this auction, we hope to be the best art auction
house in the country and widen the scope of the art market,"
Managing Director of Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austen-Peters
assured.
As the prospect increases, proliferation of auctions as
outlets cannot be ruled out, hence a Nollywood of visual art
in the making. Although proliferation of movie outlets and
productions have boosted the popularity of Nollywood,
ironically, it has also diminished the value of the movie
industry, so soon: remuneration for practitioners in the
movie industry is not commiserate with the over blown image
of the industry. While auctions provide the atmosphere for
the visual art sub-division of the culture sector to get the
right value for art, there is a lesson to learn from the
mistakes of Nollywood: organizers of auctions should be
conscious of standards.
The effect, positive or otherwise, is less on artists, but
more the concerns of collectors, art dealers and auction
houses, Olu Amoda argued. He explained that, "if for
instance auction house B sells the work of a particular
artist at a lower price compared to auction house A,
collectors would rather go and buy at B." And because most
of the works at auctions are usually from collectors and art
dealers "the referendum is not on the artists, but auction
houses, collectors and art dealers," Amoda stressed.
However, the next few months - if the two expected auctions
hold - would either confirm the current value of
contemporary Nigerian art or challenge it.
Whatever the outcome of these auctions, artists cannot
afford to be indifferent, can they?
(First published Tuesday, March 09, 2010)
O UT of six art auctions held in the past two years, four
have set what appears like benchmark in evaluation of contemporary Nigerian art.
While each of ArtHouse Contemporary's four outings has
clearly shown the difference between auction and art gallery
values of art, the two held by Nimbus Art Centre and
Nokterra hardly drew a line between the two valuations.
At the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, a total sale
of N69, 333, 000 (sixty nine million, three hundred and thirty three thousand Naira), including the buyers' premium, was
recorded for 84 lots during the last of these auctions
organized by the Lagos based auction house, ArtHouse
Contemporary, last week. Under the hammer of United Kingdom
(U.K.) based auctioneer, John Dabney, the sale, according to
Adityta Chellaram of ArtHouse, "represents 87 per cent of
all works for sale." This, he argued "marks a steady
improvement over the sale in April 2009."
And the prospect appeared to be getting higher as Aditya
explained that, "43 Buyers purchased at the auction as some
were first time buyers." Six out of the buyers, he disclosed
were "telephone and absentee bidders from overseas." In the
last two years, sales from each of the six auctions
indicated that quality of the events and not just the works
made a lot of difference: In April 2008, ArtHouse
Contemporary unearthed the high value of Nigerian art with a
surprise sale of about 86 lots at N76m and improved in
November 2008 selling 84 lots at N93, 000,000; Nimbus Art
Centre's auction, December 2008 sold 50 lots at N10m;
ArtHouse Contemporary's April 2009 auction of 69 lots
recorded N67m; last December, Nokterra auction had N7.2m on
about 100 lots. For these auctions however, the caliber of
artists whose works were on sales are mostly the same.
For example, the highest sale recorded for one lot at
Nokterra auction was N450, 000 on Bruce Onorapkeya's St.
Paul (74 x 61cm., 1979 deep etching, plastograph). But at
the third auction of ArtHouse held five months earlier, a
similar piece - size and medium - of the same artist titled
Aro Osomo (Father's Shrine, original plate, 85.4 x 60 cm.
1977) was sold at N1, 650, 000. Although auction houses are
not expected to have the same sales on given category of
artists, the difference, however could either confirm the
value in the context of results from ArtHouse auctions or
unctuate such records; leading to confusion on the true
value of a particular artist's work.
Despite this disparity in evaluations, more auctions are
welcome, painter and gallery operator, Biodun Omolayo
argued. "The more auctions there are, the better for the
artists and collectors as one auction house cannot
accommodate everybody," he said.
Apparently, ArtHouse is one group to watch in this new
outlet of the nation's art. Interestingly, its last outing
has fulfilled the Chief Executive Officer, Kavita
Chelleram's promise that "every artist will be given an
equal opportunity." This much emerged as the event showed
that the younger artists were gradually catching up with the
masters; two artists below 45 years old were among the top
five. Nnenna Okore's Omalicha (clay and burlap, 40 x 80 in.,
2009) at N2.8m and Chidi Kwubiri's Night of Paradise (oil on
canvas 78.5 x 63 in., 2009) at N2.7m were second and third
on the sales.
 |
| Top of the sale, Sold at at
N4.2m SIMON OKEKE UNTITLED 1966 OIL ON BOARD 111.8 cm. x 86.4 cm. (44 x 34 in. |
> was by pop artist, Diseye Tantua, mid 30s. Arguably, one of
> the most highly bid, the work titled Different Different
> Fever (acrylic on canvas, 60 x 18.75 in., 2009) a
> reminiscent of late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti,
> took off from N420, 000 asking price and ended at N1.7m. It
> was indeed a surprise sale as the hall went up in applause
when the hammer finally fell.
Top of the sales was Untitled (oil on board, 44 x 34 in.,
1969) at N4.2m, by Simon Okeke (1937-1969); fourth,
Intimacy, (oil on board 75.75 x 22 in., 1963) at N2.3m, by
Erhabor Emokpae (1934 - 1984); fifth, Untitled, (wood, 58
in., 1991), N2.4m by Ben Osawe. Figures for these lots are
less the buyer's premium of 10 per cent.
Speaking on the results of the auction, art teacher at
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Jerry Buhari agreed
that ArtHouse's last auction, like the previous ones held
has put "the market value of our art in the right
perspective."
Sustaining that value, according to Nike Okundaye is
through more auctions. She hinted that her organisation,
Nike Art Centre is involved in an auction holding at the
centre next month. Visual art, she argued "should take a cue
from Nollywood by making our outlets, particularly the
auction, an all inclusive; young and old artists."
With as many as "500 works from artists, collectors and art
dealers" for the last auction, Chellaram, shortly before the
event, noted that it was a difficult task making the final
180 selections.
Two days ago, Aditya stressed that, "if the results and
response of this sale are any indication, certainly the
market is large enough for more auctions."
Also expected in April is a joint venture between Terra
Kulture and Nimbus 2000 to be known as Golden Jubilee Art
Auction: Celebrating 2000 Years of Afrikan
Creativity. Designed as part of activities to herald the
50th independence anniversary of Nigeria, the organizers are
optimistic that the auction will boost art market in the
country.
"With this auction, we hope to be the best art auction
house in the country and widen the scope of the art market,"
Managing Director of Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austen-Peters
assured.
As the prospect increases, proliferation of auctions as
outlets cannot be ruled out, hence a Nollywood of visual art
in the making. Although proliferation of movie outlets and
productions have boosted the popularity of Nollywood,
ironically, it has also diminished the value of the movie
industry, so soon: remuneration for practitioners in the
movie industry is not commiserate with the over blown image
of the industry. While auctions provide the atmosphere for
the visual art sub-division of the culture sector to get the
right value for art, there is a lesson to learn from the
mistakes of Nollywood: organizers of auctions should be
conscious of standards.
The effect, positive or otherwise, is less on artists, but
more the concerns of collectors, art dealers and auction
houses, Olu Amoda argued. He explained that, "if for
instance auction house B sells the work of a particular
artist at a lower price compared to auction house A,
collectors would rather go and buy at B." And because most
of the works at auctions are usually from collectors and art
dealers "the referendum is not on the artists, but auction
houses, collectors and art dealers," Amoda stressed.
However, the next few months - if the two expected auctions
hold - would either confirm the current value of
contemporary Nigerian art or challenge it.
Whatever the outcome of these auctions, artists cannot
afford to be indifferent, can they?
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