LONDON.- Children of Fire, a large artwork by the street artist STIK, is one of the highlights of
Bonhams’ Post-War & Contemporary Art sale on Thursday 30 June at New Bond Street, London. STIK created the work in the aftermath of the London Riots in 2011, sprayed onto the garage door of a vegan community centre in Hackney. The large-scale work, which comes to Bonhams from a private collection, has a pre-sale estimate of £120,000-180,000 – the highest estimate given to a work by the artist.
Oliver Morris-Jones, Head of Sale, commented: “This is a signature work by STIK, with his distinctive figures framed by flames – symbolic of the London riots, which shook the community in 2011. His works are hitting new hights of popularity, and we’re confident this striking work will attract a lot of interest from collectors.”
Born in 1979 and based in London, STIK is famously guarded when it comes to his personal life. Having learnt his craft on the streets around fellow street art contemporaries in East London, he places community at the heart of his practice – and spends a great deal of his time restoring his works in public spaces. In 2012, as he prepared for his first gallery show, he was living in a St Mungo’s homeless hostel. In 2017, his work Couple Hold Hands in the Street in Shoreditch was voted the UK’s 17th-favourite artwork in a Guardian poll.
Other highlights of the sale include:
• Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004), Still Life with Blue Jar and Smoking Cigarette (flat). Executed circa 1980-82. Estimate: £850,000-1,250,000.
• INVADER (B. 1969), Rubik Travis Bickle Mohican, 2007. Made with Rubik's cubes on Perspex panel. Estimate: £150,000-200,000.
• Frank Auerbach (B. 1931), Head of Catherine Lampert, 1983-84. Estimate: £450,000-650,000.
