Hannah O’ Leary, Sotheby’s Head of Modern and Contemporary African Art, said: “From an international perspective, the interest in and market for modern and contemporary African art has developed enormously over the past decade. Sotheby’s entry into the market with the launch of our sales in 2017 has had an immediate positive effect and been a real game-changer. This is clearly a market that is poised for growth and the opportunities for collectors to get involved right how are extremely exciting.

Our third dedicated auction this October widens the scope of our previous sale, with more countries represented than ever before. This is our best sale yet, comprising works by fifty-six artists from eighteen countries across Africa. We have a particularly strong selection of Ethiopian art, including masterpieces by Afewek Tekle, Skunder Boghossian and Wosene Worke Kosrof, and a painting by Senegalese artist Papa Ibra YTall, which was purchased by jazz legend Duke Ellington in Dakar in 1966 at the World Festival of Negro Arts. With museum-quality works on offer, such as Gavin Jantjes’ seminal South African Colouring Book, by established artists with a great track record, this is a sale which will appeal to seasoned and new collectors alike.”