CAPE TOWN.- Strauss & Co, Africa’s leading art auction house, will offer Praying Arab by Irman Stern, on 19 September. The work was painted in her golden period in 1945 and is expected to realize in the region of $1 million.

The South African-based company also announces new Board appointments and confims half-year sales results have increased to 183 million Rand ($10 million), a 4% increase on the same period last year. New record prices set in Africa in 2023 included Irma Stern’s Children Reading the Koran, which established the new highest price for a work of art sold in Africa. World record prices were also achieved for artists Dumile Feni, Ruby Swinney, Sethembile Msezane with significant artists also having their auction debut including Ben Enwonwu (Nigeria), Ablade Glover (Nigeria), Wycliffe Mundopa (Zimbabwe), Prince Twins Seven-Seven (Nigeria) and Pilpili Mulongoy (DR Congo), as Strauss continues to expand its offering and its global client base.

“It is no secret that economic conditions have been less than optimal. Rising interest rates globally, coupled with restrictive monetary policy and adverse currency exchange rates in South Africa have fed a mood of caution. Loadshedding and power outages are here to stay. The impact on our daily lives, on businesses and on our country is enormous,” says Frank Kilbourn, Chairman, Strauss and Co.
“Notwithstanding these challenges with the support of our clients, established and new, we have a very solid foundation. Smart collectors with a sense for value continue to buy. Some now detect value in overlooked early pioneers, others see opportunity in bellweather moderns whitle many recognise possibility in rand-hedge contemporary artists. The key take-out: opportunity exists in all segments of the market.”

Key Work by Irma Stern Opens the Season

On 19 September 2023, Strauss & Co, Africa’s leading art auction house, will present Irma Stern’s highly important portrait, Praying Arab (estimate R16 – 18 million/ $840,00-950,000). From a prestigious private collection, Praying Arab dates from the artist’s second visit to the East African island of Zanzibar in 1945. The work is expected to attract international bidding and follows on from the price established an African record set in March 2023 when we sold Children Reading the Koran for R22.3 million/ $1.17 million.Praying Arab is a supert example of the stylistic attributes characteristic of Stern’s golden period (roughly 1933-48), when she arrived at her mature descriptive style.

Stern was familiar with Zanzibar from her many shipboard journeys to Europe. “The Zanzibarians are not types – they are all people,” Stern admonished a reporter in 1946. Her sought-after compositions in oil from this period and geographic location are vibrant studies in human encounter. The importance of Praying Arab is clear from its prominent positioning in her artist’s book, Zanzibar (1948).

New Board Appointments

As Strauss & Co looks to further expand its presence, it also announces the appointments of Khetiwe McClain and Jo-Ann Strauss to the company’s board of directors, effective immediately. Khetiwe McClain, a mining entrepreneur with an international background in art, joins the company as Client Advisory Executive. Jo-Ann Strauss, media entrepreneur and international speaker, will serve as a Non-Executive Director.

“We are delighted that Khetiwe McClain and Jo-Ann Strauss, two formidable businesswomen with outstanding professional credentials, have agreed to join our leadership team,” says Frank Kilbourn, Chairperson, Strauss & Co. “Their energy and drive, coupled with their proven competence and internationalism, will be invaluable as we transform and expand our business. We are thrilled to have them on board.”

“Joining Strauss & Co is a convergence of passion and purpose,” says Khetiwe McClain. “My background in fine art, entrepreneurship and Board experience will support my goal of creating new relationships and visionary partnerships in the art space to reach different audiences.”

“Artists have made an invaluable contribution to South Africa’s history and that of the African continent. I am especially passionate about entrepreneurship and creating an environment that helps South Africans grow their own businesses locally and abroad,” says Jo-Ann Strauss. “I look forward to deepening my knowledge of the industry and serving on the board of such a dynamic company.”