charcoal and soft pastel on paper
Artwork date: 2014
Signature details: signed and dated bottom right
Exhibited: Henry George Gallery, Johannesburg, 'After the Winter', 2015.
Sold for R113,800
Estimated at R100,000 - R150,000
Condition Report
The overall condition is good.
Floating to backing board. Not laid down.
Minor cockling consistent with the sheet size.
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.
charcoal and soft pastel on paper
Artwork date: 2014
Signature details: signed and dated bottom right
Exhibited: Henry George Gallery, Johannesburg, 'After the Winter', 2015.
(1)
148 x 228 cm; framed size: 176 x 255 x 6 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Johannesburg.
Notes:
This early large-scale drawing by emerging artist Wonder Buhle Mbambo is deeply personal and relies on images from the artist’s memory to denote the history and current realities in South Africa. Although the work is somewhat confrontational, with the inclusion of elements such as the back-to-front South African flag and the chaotic scattering of debris in this landscape setting, the moments of abstract colourful forms offer positivity and hope. The artist asks us to consider that there can be hope and despair in the same breath.[1]
Questions and Answers was exhibited at Henry George Gallery in 2015 in Johannesburg. The year after, Mbambo was awarded the Bremer Kunststipendium Art Grant residency which profiled his work on an international platform. Since then, Mbambo has been part of numerous group shows both locally and internationally and has presented solo shows at the Durban Art Gallery (2018), the PilippZollinger Galler in Zurich (2019) and BKhz in Johannesburg (2020). Most recently, he exhibited in The Medium is the Message, a group exhibition curated by Azu Nwagbogu at Unit London.
[1] Taken from the artist’s statement for the After the Winter exhibition supplied by Henry George Gallery, in correspondence with Carina Jansen, August 8, 2022.
Collections:
The artist is represented in numerous local collections, notably, Durban Art Gallery and the Department of Arts and Culture, South Africa.
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Auction: 20th Century & Contemporary Art, 14th Sep, 2022
Aspire Art will impress collectors with this focused, boutique-style auction. Including 81 carefully selected lots the sale boasts impressive examples by many of South Africa’s most celebrated artists. A fine selection of William Kentridge works, including two original drawings, Eduardo Villa sculptures, painting by Robert Hodgins and Walter Battiss and a wonderful early Penny Siopis drawing are on offer.
Also featured are two special sections – Black Modernism and Photography. Aspire has firmly cemented itself as a champion of both these collecting segments and collectors will be spoilt for choice with a rare drawing by Dumile Feni as well as works by other modernists including Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba and Lucas Sithole and photographs by David Goldblatt, Mohau Modisakeng and Simphiwe Ndzube amongst others.
Viewing
The exhibition preview is open to the public.
Viewing is from Friday 9 to Wednesday 14 September.
Weekdays from 09h30 to 16h30, Saturdays from 09h30 to 14h00, and Sundays by appointment.
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.
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.
Aspire Art provides inter-company transfer services for its Clients between Johannesburg and Cape Town branches. These are based on the size of the artwork(s), and charged as follows:
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
Packaging
A flat fee of R100 will be added to the invoice for packaging of unframed works on paper.
International Collectors Shipping Package
For collectors based outside South Africa who purchase regularly from Aspire Art’s auctions in South Africa, it does not make sense to ship artworks individually or per auction and pay shipping every time you buy another work. Consequently, we have developed a special collectors’ shipping package to assist in reducing shipping costs and the constant demands of logistics arrangements.
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.
Aspire Art will arrange suitable storage during, and cost-effective shipping at the end, of the annual period.
Collections
Collections are by appointment, with 24-hours’ notice
Clients are requested to contact the relevant office and inform Aspire Art of which artwork(s) they would like to collect, and allow a 24-hour window for Aspire Art’s logistics department to retrieve the artwork(s) and prepare them for collection.
Handling Fee
Aspire Art charges a 15% Handling Fee on all Logistics, Framing, Restoration and Conservation arranged by Aspire.