Perspectives on Africa

Live Virtual Auction, 17 February 2025

Perspectives on Africa
About the Session

Strauss & Co is pleased to present Perspectives on Africa, a sale that explores the complexity, beauty, and fluidity of perspectives through African art and works by artists with strong ties to the continent. The sale coalesces the rich and varied connections between Africa and its artistic expressions, presenting works that span figuration, landscape, and abstraction, inviting collectors to engage with powerful narratives emerging from Africa's evolving perspectives. The works reflect layered meanings, both as a method  of representing depth and dimension as a way of framing our understanding of the world. Work by Contemporary artists reflects on the historical foundations of Modernist artists, exploring themes such as identity, belonging, urbanisation, and re-encounters with tradition, while the sale transitions to Modernist interpretations of Africa, exploring the complexity of colonial encounters, post-independence aspirations, and indigenous practices. Building on Strauss & Co’s commitment to developing a strong local photography market, the sale includes an artist focus on the work of social documentarian Paul Alberts, whose images captured poignant narratives of everyday life, particularly in Cape Town. These works sit alongside David Goldblatt and Zanele Muholi, whose visceral images explore themes of identity, social justice and the multifaceted realities of African life.


Current Bid

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Lot 180
  • Bonolo Kavula; Lerumo (The Spear)
  • Bonolo Kavula; Lerumo (The Spear)


Lot Estimate
ZAR 20 000 - 30 000
Current Bid
Starting at ZAR 18 000
Location
Cape Town
Delivery
Additional delivery charges apply
Shipping
Condition Report
May include additional detailed images
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About this Item

Bonolo Kavula
South African 1992-
Lerumo (The Spear)
cardboard, thread, acrylic paint on punched canvas and string
height: 51cm; width: 14cm; depth: 3,5cm

Provenance

Acquired from the artist by the current owner.

Notes

“This artwork was created a month before I conceptualised the idea of incorporating Shweshwe fabric into my work. It was also made in the same year that I had my first solo exhibition in the Tomorrows/Today booth for the Cape Town Investec Art Fair in February 2020. In this piece, I’ve used remnants from that solo show to create a sculptural object that combines material ideas such as cardboard and punched canvas. Three months later, in March 2021, I held my first solo exhibition at SMAC, featuring this piece as part of a series of small experimental works that combine cardboard, canvas, and punched magazine paper—all of which sold.

The artwork resembles a spear or dagger, and I always title my works in Setswana. Lerumo means "spear" in Setswana—a weapon or form of armor. I would even go as far as to say that this piece represents my spiritual armor.”—Bonolo Kavula, 2025.

Exhibited

SMAC, Cape Town, Sewedi Sewedi, 6 March to 1 May 2021.