- 158
Dumile Feni-Mhlaba (Zwelidumile Mxgazi)
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
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Description
- Dumile Feni-Mhlaba (Zwelidumile Mxgazi)
- Untitled (Head)
- Numbered 3/6
- Bronze
- Height: 20 3/4 in.
- 57.7 cm
Provenance
Grosvenor Gallery, London
Acquired from the above in the 1960s
Acquired from the above in the 1960s
Condition
Bronze with a golden brown patina. In areas, especially across the back, the bronze appears to have been chased to resemble wood. Minor surface scratches. The base has some nicks that may be part of the casting process. In overall good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Zwelidumile Geelboi Mgxaji Mslaba “Dumile” Feni was born in Worcester, Western Cape, South Africa in 1942. By the early 1950s, Dumile was an apprentice at the Block and Leo Wald Sculpture, Pottery and Plastics Foundry in Jeppe.
Dumile found his subject matter in the life and events he observed around him. He exhibited successfully for a number of years in Johannesburg and was selected as one of the artists to represent South Africa at the 1967 São Paulo Biennale. As a black artist, he received much criticism from Durban-area art contemporaries for representing the apartheid regime at an international exhibition. Faced with the possibility of deportation under the Pass Laws, Dumile voluntarily exiled himself to London, where he exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery and Camden Art Centre. In 1979 he moved to the United States, first to Los Angeles and then New York, where lived until his sudden death in 1991, three years before his vision of a democratic South Africa was realized.
Dumile found his subject matter in the life and events he observed around him. He exhibited successfully for a number of years in Johannesburg and was selected as one of the artists to represent South Africa at the 1967 São Paulo Biennale. As a black artist, he received much criticism from Durban-area art contemporaries for representing the apartheid regime at an international exhibition. Faced with the possibility of deportation under the Pass Laws, Dumile voluntarily exiled himself to London, where he exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery and Camden Art Centre. In 1979 he moved to the United States, first to Los Angeles and then New York, where lived until his sudden death in 1991, three years before his vision of a democratic South Africa was realized.