COLLECTING INSIGHT: Modern & Contemporary Art Highlights

Leading the sale is a previously unseen early painting, Village Scene, from 1938 by Alexis Preller, created shortly before the artist’s journey to Lake Kivu in the Congo. This remarkable work offers valuable insight into Preller’s formative engagement with African themes and occupies a pivotal place within his oeuvre, revealing the young artist’s bold synthesis of African subject matter and modernist technique.

Lot 25: Alexis Preller , Village Scene, 1938

The auction also features Stanley Pinker’s powerful L’état c’est moi, a dynamic expression of the artist’s signature visual language and his critique of imperialism in Africa. Other significant modernist works include two poignant paintings by the social realist painter George Pemba — At the Clinic (1993) and A Letter to My Mother (1980) — as well as Peter Clarke’s heartwarming 1971 scene, Kom Huis Toe.

Lot 32: Stanley Pinker, L’état c’est moi

Lot 23: George Pemba, At the Clinic, 1993

A strong sculptural offering further distinguishes the sale, with important works by Sydney Kumalo and Ezrom Legae, alongside a special selection dedicated to the sculptural master Edoardo Villa, including the monumental Thrust II (1984–86).

LEFT: Lot 12: Sydney Kumalo, Praise Singer

RIGHT: Lot 14: Ezrom Legae, Torso

Lot 17: Edoardo Villa, Thrust II, 1984/6

Read: Edoardo Villa – Master of Modern Form

Among the contemporary highlights is William Kentridge’s Polychrome Head 5, part of the artist’s sculptural series exploring the fragmentary language of classical portraiture. 

Lot 33: William Kentridge, Polychrome Head 5, 2014

This season, Aspire Art is also proud to present a selection of cutting-edge contemporary African art, showcasing dynamic and boundary-pushing works by emerging and established artists from across the continent. Notable inclusions are Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru, Gareth Nyandoro and Option Dzikamai Nyahunzvi both from Zimbabwe. 

Lot 47: Cyrus Kabiru, The Blue Mamba, 2017

The sale also includes mixed-media works by Senzeni Marasela, who will participate in the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, In Minor Keys, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, and Patrick Bongoy, who will be featured in the first-ever Pavilion of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Venice Biennale.

Lot 39: Senzeni Marasela, Waiting for Gebane, 2018

Lot 35: Patrick Bongoy, The Way of Ancestors, 2026

As Aspire Art marks its 10th anniversary in 2026, the March Modern & Contemporary Art Auction continues the company’s pioneering work in presenting collections of historical importance and cultural resonance, offering collectors a broadened, cross-generational perspective on the evolving art-historical landscape.

Auction:

Modern & Contemporary Art 

18 March 2026 at 7pm

PUBLIC PREVIEW
Until 18 March 2026
Monday - Friday: 9am - 4:30pm
Saturday 15 March: 9:30am – 3pm
Sunday 16 March: 10am – 2pm

VENUE
Ground Floor, Mandela Rhodes Place, 21 Church Street, Cape Town

SALE ENQUIRIES 
Cape Town: ct@aspireart.net | +27 21 418 0765
 
Sarah Sinisi
sarah@aspireart.net

Amy Carrington
amy@aspireart.net