Ben Enwonwu & The African Art Renaissance
Ben Enwonwu is a Master Nigerian painter and sculptor. He is arguably the most influential African artist of the 20th century, his pioneering career opened the way for the postcolonial proliferation and increased visibility of modern African art.
An African Art Renaissance has been surging through the global art markets for quite some time. The silent movement reached a new peak, in 2018, when Ben Enwonwu’s 1973 Tutu sold at Bonhams London’s first-ever evening sale of African contemporary art for USD $1.67M. Oliver Enwonwu, is continuing his father’s legacy of tracing the history of women empowerment in West Africa and its influence on trade and culture around the world. His paintings are an elegant expression of African spirituality through dance and fashion. He predominantly paints portraits of women including a painting of his mother. His paintings, such as The Black Victoria, reflect his father’s 1973 Tutu with eyes that greet the observer with a graceful power.
Dakar Gallery Art Studio. West African Contemporary Art research on Nigerian Master artist Ben Enwonwu.
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Ania Onabolu, Ben Enwonwu and Chief Afiong Ekong were the pioneers of the Modern Nigerian art movement of the 1960s. They began to paint the picture of the consciousness that emerged following independence and the Nigerian Civil War from the perspective of highly educated and trained artists. Today, their movement is continued by a decentralized artist community equipped with digital art collectible tools such as AR, XR, VR and smart contracts. This new art culture has emerged at the height of the African contemporary art market.
In 2018, Ben Enwonwu’s Tutu sold at Bonhams London’s first-ever evening sale of African contemporary art for USD $1.67M. This was the most expensive Nigerian modernist fine artwork ever sold at an auction. It was purchased by a Nigerian and is reportedly back in the West African nation. The masterpiece, Tutu, was considered the most significant African contemporary art discovery in 50 years. The next year, 25 years after his death, Enwonwu beat his own record with the sale of his acclaimed portrait Christine for USD $2.5M at a Sotheby’s auction. It is clear that the art world is transforming and one of its propellers is the growing demographic of African art collectors.
Nigeria is the country in Africa with the fastest-growing net worth of USD $1M to $30M. According to the Nigerian Art Market Report, over 70% of buyers at Bonhams recently designated auctions were African. Now, major museums have realized this is the market of the future. The Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, Senegal opened in 2018, driving renewed interest in art from the colonial era. In Ghana, the market is benefiting from having one of Africa’s best art schools located in the town of Kumasi and a government actively invested in art promotion.
Enwonwu’s dedication to honoring women may be inspired by his mother, Chinyelugo Iyom Nweze. She was a textile merchant. However, Enwonwu learned his early carving skills from his father, Omenka Odigwe Emeka Enwonwu, who was also a sculptor. Enowonwu was most known as a sculptor. In 1956, he crafted a bronze sculpture of Chief Lady Afiong Ekong, his successor in the Nigerian modernist art movement. His mastery combined Igbo aesthetics with European techniques. In 1956, he became the first African artist to receive a royal commission. Decades later, on March 31, 2021, his sculpture Atlas was sold at a Sotheby’s auction for ~USD $500,000.
African art, both old and new, is fueling a global African Art market. Bonhams is the first-ever auction house to take part in AKAA: Also Known As “Africa African Art Fair.” The art and design fair took place from November 12–14, 2021 in Paris with 57 works from French and private collections. It included the artists Aboudia, Benedict Enwonwu, Ouattara Watts, Bertina Lopez, Chéri Samba, El Anatsui, Nadjia Mehadji, and Mahi Binebine. This included the artwork, Grigali, an oil painting on paper created by Ivorian artist Aboudia in 1983. Grigrali is a slang word for “work that has no advantage.” It features caricatures with lifeless eyes in a foggy array of primary color. In 2012, Cécile Fakhoury, a global gallery owner, noted Aboudia among a class of artists that have evolved well in recent years.
Digital art collectibles have inspired an IRL movement of capturing African history from past to present with collections highlighting African mask traditions. The increase of access to a global art market through NFTs and the emergence of the African contemporary art market in auctions have only begun to show the potential for artists and collectors to preserve this rich history. The new art market has created a need for global art communities that can navigate art curation and art technology.
Peer Reviewers
- Muhammad Hameed
- David Lockie
