7th Jun, 2023 18:00
20th Century & Contemporary Art
14
Nandipha Mntambo (South Africa 1982-)
Enfold Me IV
oil on canvas with cow hair
Artwork date: 2014
Exhibited: Stevenson, Johannesburg, 'Nandipha Mntambo: Transience', 10 April to 16 May 2014.
Sold for R91,500
Estimated at R80,000 - R120,000
Condition Report
The overall condition is very good.
Minor paint loss mid right area.
Please note, we are not qualified conservators and these reports give our opinion as to the general condition of the works. We advise that bidders view the lots in person to satisfy themselves with the condition of prospective purchases.
oil on canvas with cow hair
Artwork date: 2014
Exhibited: Stevenson, Johannesburg, 'Nandipha Mntambo: Transience', 10 April to 16 May 2014.
(1)
180 x 155 x 10 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Pretoria.
Stevenson, Johannesburg.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Nandipha Mntambo is best known for her cascading sculptures moulded from cowhide – often suggesting the human female figure. Her chosen medium makes reference to various historical associations linked to her Swazi culture and references the relationship between people and animals. Since so many cultures share some sort of divine connection with the animal, the domesticated cow might serve as a unifying symbol.
Enfold-me IV was created in 2014 for Mntambo’s first large-scale exhibition in Johannesburg following her Standard Bank Young Artist touring exhibition in 2012. The work is a prime example of how she has expanded her practice into painting – here skilfully employing heavily layered, ambiguous abstract forms in thick oil paint and cow hair. The result is visually sensual, powerfully deep and slightly recherché. For Mntambo, the work “speaks to the vulnerability of experience, exact recall giving way to primordial substrate”.[1]
[1] Stevenson.info (2023). Nandipha Mntambo. [online].
http://archive.stevenson.info/exhibitions/mntambo/index2014.html. (Accessed 16 May 2023)
COLLECTOR'S NOTE
In 2015, Nandipha Mntambo was included in The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Purgatory and Hell Revisited by Contemporary African Artists at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington DC, USA. In 2017, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa presented Material Value, a solo exhibition of her work. Recent group exhibitions include Contemporary Female Identities in the Global South at the Johannesburg Contemporary Art Foundation and Matereality, Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town (both in 2020).
Installation view- Stevenson, Johannesburg, Nandipha Mntambo, Transience.
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Auction: 20th Century & Contemporary Art, 7th Jun, 2023
Aspire Art will impress collectors with this focused, boutique-style auction in Johannesburg. A feature of the carefully compiled collection is a strong focus on contemporary African artists. Collectors of contemporary works from Africa will be spoilt for choice with works by Thierry Oussou (Benin), Richard Mudariki (Zimbabwe) and Banele Khoza (Swaziland). Local contemporary favourites include Nandipha Mntambo, Cinga Samson and Gerhard Marx amongst others. Contemporary photographers are also well represented with works by Aida Muluneh (Ethiopia), Kudzanai Chiurai (Zimbabwe) and South African international superstar, Zanele Muholi, while important historical images are included with works of Winnie Mandela by Alf Kumalo and a portfolio of twelve works – chronicling the hardships of apartheid – from Ernest Cole’s seminal House of Bondage (1967).
A highlight of the sale is South African modernist Alexis Preller’s, Adam (1972) – a recently discovered, never before seen, work forming part of Preller’s series of Adamic-themed works from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Other significant modern pieces include a unique terrazzo sculpture by Edoardo Villa, still lifes by Maggie Laubser and works by Cecil Skotnes, Walter Battiss and J.H Pierneef.
The sale concludes with a special section of William Kentridge editioned prints led by the impressive Blue Head (1993 – 1998).
Viewing
Viewing will be open from Friday 2 to Wednesday 7 June 8:30 to 16:30 and Saturday 3 June from 10:00 to 14:00.
Currency conversions are based on the exchange rate at the auction's start time and date. Bidders should verify the current exchange rate on the day of the sale. All invoices and payments must be made in South African Rands.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Logistics
While we endeavour to assist our Clients as much as possible, we require artwork(s) to be delivered and/or collected from our premises by the Client. In instances where a Client is unable to deliver or collect artwork(s), Aspire staff is available to assist in this process by outsourcing the services to one of our preferred Service Providers. The cost for this will be for the Client’s account, with an additional Handling Fee of 15% charged on top of the Service Provider’s invoice.
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Small (≤60x90x10 cm): R480
Medium (≤90x120x15 cm): R960
Large (≤120x150x20 cm): R1,440
Over-size: Special quote
Should artwork(s) be collected or delivered to/from Clients by Aspire Art directly, the following charges will apply:
Collection/delivery ≤20km: R400
Collection/delivery 20km>R800≤50km
Collection/delivery >50km: Special quote
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For buyers from outside South Africa, we will keep the artworks you have purchased in storage during the year and then ship all the works you have acquired during the year together, so the shipping costs are reduced. At the end of the annual period, we will source various quotes to get you the best price, and ship all your artworks to your desired address at once.
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Handling Fee
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