The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize 2022 Benefit Auction | Hosted by Sotheby’s

The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize 2022 Benefit Auction | Hosted by Sotheby’s

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 9. Great Black Water is my name. My forms (are) the forms of Khepri, the foliage of Atum. Repeat. I entered as one who was ignorant; I have gone forth as an akh. [I] shall be seen in my form as a human forever.’ Extract from The Papyrus of Sobekmose.

Zohra Opoku

Great Black Water is my name. My forms (are) the forms of Khepri, the foliage of Atum. Repeat. I entered as one who was ignorant; I have gone forth as an akh. [I] shall be seen in my form as a human forever.’ Extract from The Papyrus of Sobekmose

No reserve

Reserves

Lot Closed

February 22, 05:11 PM GMT

Estimate

12,000 - 18,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Zohra Opoku

German/Ghanaian

b.1976

Great Black Water is my name. My forms (are) the forms of Khepri, the foliage of Atum. Repeat. I entered as one who was ignorant; I have gone forth as an akh. [I] shall be seen in my form as a human forever.’ Extract from The Papyrus of Sobekmose


screen-print on linen, cotton & canvas, hand threaded stitches

150 by 148cm., 59 by 58¼in.

Please be aware of the Conditions of Sale when bidding. As a benefit auction, there is no buyer’s premium charged. The only additional costs due to the winning bidder are applicable sales tax and shipping. Works auctioned are sold “as is,” and condition reports are included with lot descriptions as available. In-person previews of the auction artwork will be available at Norval Foundation at 4 Steenberg Rd, Tokai, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa from 26 January – 22 February, Monday to Sundays 9 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed on Tuesdays). Please note that while this auction is hosted on Sothebys.com, it is being administered by Norval Foundation (“the museum”), and all post-sale matters (inclusive of invoicing and property pickup/shipment) will be handled by the museum. As such, Sotheby’s will share the contact details for the winning bidders with the museum so that they may be in touch directly post-sale.

This work has been kindly donated by the artist

Zohra Opoku (b.1976, Germany) is an artist whose practice is centred around the rich cultures of textiles and design which are mobilised through her practice photography, sculpture and installation. She conceptualizes West African traditions, spirituality, the thread of family lineage as they relate to self-authorship and the politics of her hybrid identity. A globalized social consumption and the commodification of all things African are a driving force in what she sees.  

 

The Myths of Eternal Life, Opoku’s latest body of work, is an exercise that seeks to be both healing and transformative. The series explores the afterlife, particularly inspired by the Egyptian papyrus Book Of The Dead, a guidebook for the journey beyond this world and existence. Silkscreened collage imagery of tree branches represent impressions of being, connecting plants and body parts to become one. The work moves through cycles of light and darkness, alongside gods who reside within them. Beside depicting images of her dreams, the shadows represent the border between the denial and acceptance. This series is a celestial exploration from the origin of Africa, that delves into the unknown of life and death - specifically in pursuit of healing where the fragments of body symbolize metaphors for the human spirit.