A selling exhibition organized by Christie’s London in partnership with the Dubai-based Efie Gallery will feature works from three of Ghana’s most innovative artists. The show “Material Earth,” which runs through May 13 at Christie’s London on 8 King Street in Mayfair, has ten pieces by Ghanaian-born El-Anatsui, one of the world’s most sought-after contemporary artists, as well as two rising talents — Yaw Owusu and Isshaq Ismail.
Ismail’s paintings feature captivating grotesque portraits of anonymous individuals inspired by those the artist sees every day in his hometown of Accra, Ghana. While El-Anatsui and Owusu transform everyday objects into forms of complex beauty with inherent socio-political messages, Ismail’s paintings feature captivating grotesque portraits of anonymous individuals inspired by those the artist sees.
A new set of wooden sculptures by El-Anatsui, including the artist’s intriguing abstract forms colored in vivid hues, is on display for the first time in Europe.
The exhibition takes place at a time when international demand for African art is at an all-time high. Art from Africa has become the topic of bidding battles at worldwide auction houses such as Bonhams, Piasa, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Strauss, and Phillips in recent years. International sales of African art generated a total of $25.3 million in the first half of 2019. According to Statista, art from Africa contributed $13 billion to the global art market in 2018 and is expected to reach $15 billion by 2023.
The exhibition aims to spark debate about the current worldwide conversation on climate change, sustainability, and waste. Owusu, a recent graduate of New York’s Pratt Institute, upcycles otherwise worthless ordinary items, such as the pennies he uses ritualistically, to create new things of beauty that sparkle with vibrant life.
