ARTSPLIT closed out Yusuf Grillo and George Pemba’s Auction with a VIP Dinner | Here’s how It went down
ARTSPLIT, a pioneering African art technology platform, has closed its contemporary masters split and lease auction featuring the iconic works of Yusuf Grillo and George Pemba with a VIP Dinner to honour the two artists in Lagos.
George Pemba is a well-known South African artist known for his bold use of colour, with many of his paintings inspired by his moments in the hospital, where he spent much of his time drawing his surroundings, fellow patients, and doctors. Pemba is regarded as a forefather of African social realism, and in 2004 he was posthumously awarded the Order of Ikhamanga for his contributions to art and literature.
Yusuf Grillo is a well-known Nigerian artist and the founding president of the Society of Nigerian Artists. Grillo is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most distinguished academically trained painters; he rose to prominence and international acclaim in the 1960s and 1970s, exhibiting an extensive collection of his early works.
Many of his paintings incorporate elements of his western art training, combining western art techniques with traditional Yoruba sculpture characteristics. His use of blue in natural settings paintings is sometimes reminiscent of adire or resist-dye textiles used in Nigeria.
Dignitaries and top personalities in the African art scene at the VIP Dinner included Ugoma Ebilah, Founding Director and chief curator at BLOOM Art; Owen Omogiafo, President and Group CEO of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp); Atul Chaudhary, Managing Director, Landcraft industries; Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Nigerian-based contemporary artist and curator; and Oyindamola Fakeye, Creative Director of Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos (CCA Lagos).
The ARTSPLIT auction was held from November 4 to 30 featuring two iconic works; Eyo (1993) by Nigerian artist, Yusuf Grillo and Between Life and Death (1976) by South African artist, George Pemba.
The winning bidders now have physical access to the works for 24 months, and the lease value of the works are $2000 for Eyo (1993) and $1000 for Between Life and Death (1976).
ARTSPLIT is an art trading technology company driven by one common goal; enhancing the investment status of African art by allowing users to co-own rare and valuable artworks on a platform that guarantees price discovery and market liquidity.
To learn more about the platform, send an email at info@artsplit.com or visit www.artsplit.com. You can also call or WhatsApp our mobile at +234(0)9088962169 and follow @artsplitofficial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
