The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize 2023 Benefit Auction | Hosted by Sotheby’s

Lakin Ogunbanwo

I See It, Do You?, 2021

Reserves

Lot Closed

January 31, 05:15 PM GMT

Estimate

1,200 - 1,800 USD

Lot Details

Description

Lakin Ogunbanwo

Nigerian

b.1987

I See It, Do You?, 2021

numbered 2 of an edition of 5 + 2AP (on accompanying certificate of authenticity), printed in 2022

digital photography with archival ink printed on Hahnemühle photo rag

130 by 100cm., 51⅛ by 39⅜in. (image size)

framed: 139 by 109cm., 54¾ by 42⅞in.

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 25 January – 20 March, Monday to Sundays 9AM – 5:00PM (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

Photographer Lakin Ogunbanwo creates enigmatic portraits, bridging a gap between fashion editorials and classical portraiture. His enigmatic images hold amorous and subversive undertones in which his subjects’ faces are usually obscured from view, often masked by shadow, drapery or foliage. The use of vibrant, flat colours and bold compositions forms a more minimalist homage to African studio photography that became popular in the 1960s and 70s.

I see it, do you? (2021) portrays Ogunbanwo’s desire to self-represent African narratives by documenting the complexity of his hometown, Lagos, and its culture. Using veiled portraiture and fashion as cultural signifiers, the artist intends to counteract the West’s monolithic gaze on Africa.