Bonhams Modern & Contemporary African Art Sale Realizes £3,347,050

In a sale that closed on 21 October 2026, the Bonhams Modern & Contemporary African Art auction achieved a total realized figure of £3,347,050, with 124 of 152 lots sold^[1], representing an 81.6% sell-through rate^[1]. Bonhams published these official results on its main auction page, confirming the strong performance of modern and contemporary works from across the continent.

The auction was led by Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E's sculpture Anyanwu. This gilt bronze rendition of Anyanwu, measuring 219 x 77 x 30cm excluding its base, was acquired directly from the artist's family and subsequently held in a private Nigerian collection. Signed and dated 'BEN ENWONWU 58' on the front lower centre of the figure, this piece represents one of the most culturally significant works produced by the celebrated Nigerian modernist. Other large-scale versions of Anyanwu are held in prestigious public collections worldwide, including the National Museum of Lagos, which was commissioned by Kenneth Murray, the United Nations, and the National Museum of Zimbabwe in Harare.

Another major highlight was Yusuf Adebayo Cameron Grillo's oil on board painting, One Man Band. Painted in 1967, this work was completed during Grillo's rise to international acclaim and prominence. The painting bears a label inscribed 'ONE MAN BAND/ OIL ON BOARD/ by/ Y GRILLO/ 1967' on the verso and measures 117 x 74cm unframed. It was acquired directly from the artist by Mr Aldo Whistance Grant, in whose collection it remained. The work features Grillo's signature elongated and cubist forms, communicating a dignified and elegant silhouette coherent with the geometric aesthetic he often employed in his most iconic figurative paintings. It was exhibited at the Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery in London during the Contemporary Nigerian Art exhibition from 20th June to 21st July 1968.

Uzo Egonu's Will Knowledge Safeguard Freedom I also drew significant attention. Signed and dated 'Uzo Egonu 1984-85' on the lower right, the oil on canvas measures 188 x 295cm and bears an inscription on the stretcher "Will Knowledge Safeguard Freedom 1" on the verso. It was held in the collection of the artist before entering a private collection in the UK. The second version of this work is illustrated in Olu Oguibe's book Uzo Egonu: An African Artist in the West. Instead of focusing on the melancholic elements of social existence, the painting interrogates the power and knowledge of unity.

Additionally, Elias Sime's "Tightrope 7", 2009-14, composed of mixed media and reclaimed components, measures 260 x 993cm. Composed of found and collected materials acquired predominantly from Menalesh Tera, meaning "What do you have?", a section of the Addis Ababa market, the work brings together an accumulation of electrical and everyday objects, meticulously arranged and adhered to individual panels.