Friday, May 6, 2011
[size=14pt]Enwonwu's art auction breaks record[/size]

By Tajudeen Sowole


THE work of the late renowned artist, Ben Enwonwu, has set a new art auction record in Lagos.


[img]http://odili.net/news/source/2011/may/6/guardian/images/picture_200_160[1].jpg[/img]
Enwonwu's art auction breaks record

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Sold at N13.5 million at the third edition of Terra Kulture art auction, the work, Untitled (ink on paper, 37.5 x 32, dated 1980) moved from the asking price of N8 million to N9 million during a short bidding period of less than two minutes to record the impressive sales.


Before the auctioneer, Yemisi Shyllon's hammer came down to confirm the sale inside the Terra Kulture multipurpose hall, on Wednesday night, Bruce Onobrakpeya's panel, Greater Nigeria was holding the record sale of N9.2 million.


Onobrakpeya, a living master, set this record at the maiden edition of ArtHouse Contemporary art auction in 2008, an event that unearthed the potential of contemporary Nigerian art. In November last year, artist and architect, Demas Nwoko nearly equalled the record of Onobrakpeya when The Wiseman, his wood piece was sold at N9 million during the last auction organised by ArtHouse Contemporary.


From an estimate of between N35 million and N40 million for the total works sold at the Terra Kulture auction, five works out of the lots sold, made the seven digits. These are: David Dale's Tribute to African Woman, charcoal / water colour, N5 million; Yusuf Sina's Mood of A Nation, oil on canvas, N3 million; Okpu Eze's Untitled N2.5 million; Kolade Oshinowo's Divine Visitation, oil on canvas N2.2 million; Suraj Adekola's Romance with Roof Tops, oil on canvas, N1 million.

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/may/6/17.html