April ART: Expressions of Labour and Form

11 Apr 2025

JOHANNESBURG – Strauss & Co is pleased to present April ART, a Timed Online Auction running from 11 to 22 April 2025, with bidding open throughout the Easter weekend.

The sale highlights a broad spectrum of artistic expression, including portraiture, landscape, still life, and sculpture, while also exploring the theme of work across various industries. Featured artists interpret labour in diverse ways, from depictions of miners, farmers and craftsmen to more abstract engagements with the idea of work. Included in the sale is Sam Nhlengethwa’s A Tired Miner, a work that documents and pays tribute to South Africa’s mining communities. Nhlengethwa has long been committed to documenting the lives of mineworkers, spending time underground to capture their experiences first-hand.

April ART coincides with Working Life in South Africa: Gerard Sekoto & Lena Hugo (1 April – 30 May 2025) at Strauss & Co in Johannesburg. Curated by Senior Art Specialist and Head Curator Wilhelm van Rensburg, the exhibition examines how South African artists have historically engaged with themes of labour and industry. Diederick During’s Working with Spade and Fork (estimate R 25 000 – 35 000), exemplifies the theme of labour with striking clarity. His work, grounded in close observation and a deep respect for his subjects, reflects the daily rhythms and endurance of workers.

Notable sculptures in the sale include Figures on a Rock (estimate R30,000 – R 40,000) by Marco Cianfanelli, a South African artist whose practice spans art, architecture, and engagement with public spaces as well as Standing Figure (estimate R 5 000 – 7 000) by Edoardo Villa, which showcases the artist’s signature approach to form, carrying echoes of Cubism and modernist abstraction.

April ART features works by both known and lesser-known artists, including Thami Jali, whose Stone Garden VI (Green Wall) merges surrealist dreamscapes with traditional symbolism and Trevor Coleman, best known for his rich use of colour. Among the highlights of the sale is Ayanda Mabulu’s Memorial City II  (R 30 000 – 50 000), a work rooted in his experiences in China between 2011 and 2014. Originally invited by the Chenshia Art Foundation for a solo exhibition in Wuhan, Mabulu returned for a second show in 2014 and participated in the AESFFC residency in Chengdu where he collaborated with Chinese artist Dong Xiaozhuang to produce Memorial City II, an artwork that merges diverse cultural influences. The sale includes William Kentridge’s Thinking Aloud, Small Thoughts, the Moon (estimate R 30 000 – R50 000), one in a series of prints that emerged from extensive interviews with art historian Angela Breidbach. Kentridge describes these works as traces of his thought process, visual musings that capture the energy of spontaneous sketching. Thinking Aloud, Small Thoughts, the Moon was created during his work on The Magic Flute Opera, which incorporated the Baroque theatrical perspective, and planetary orbits.

April ART includes multiple works by Mari Vermeulen-Breedt, an artist whose 45-year-long career was influenced by the rugged, fissured rock formations of the Amatole Mountains in the Eastern Cape. Another significant work is Jacob Hendrik Pierneef’s Tulbagh Landscape Study (estimate R 40 000 – 60 000), a watercolour and pencil composition that captures the architectural and natural beauty of Tulbagh. Executed in 1929, the work exemplifies Pierneef’s approach to capturing light, shadow, and the drama of the South African landscape.

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Events

Art Club Johannesburg

Coinciding with our Timed Online Auctions and adding to Strauss & Co’s repertoire of educational programming, including talks, walkabouts, non-selling exhibitions and collaborations with industry pioneers, Art Club serves as a platform for both new and seasoned art lovers and collectors to come together and engage in meaningful discussions.

Art Club hosts a series of digital and  live events in Johannesburg, Cape Town and London.

Join us for Art Club Johannesburg on Tuesday, 15th April at 6pm. Strauss & Co Art Specialist, Richard “Specs” Ndimande, will be in conversation with artist Lena Hugo discussing the way artists depict  workers in their practice.

www.straussart.co.za