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Innovating in lockdown Emerging Painting Invitational launches a special collaboration with Strauss & Co

14 Oct 2020

What is to be done if travel and even shipping become an obstacle?

“By the time Covid-19 lockdowns hit, we were already well into our prize nomination and finalist selection process,” says Julie Taylor, director of Guns & Rain and one of EPI coordinators. “As time wore on, it became clear that supporting young artists at this time outweighs the priority of having a physical event. Most of our sponsors were keen to continue, so we decided to work towards developing online project.”

One of the things that Covid-19 shutdowns revealed for the art world is that auction houses were much more adept at operating in the new normal than art fairs or galleries. With Strauss & Co returning as the sponsor of the first prize in EPI, and with the option of a live exhibition opening to support the works in the prize not being possible, the idea of putting together a special auction event grew.

“We were very excited to join EPI as a sponsor at the launch in Harare last year,” says Susie Goodman, Executive Director of Strauss & Co, “and this year, we have found that our own audience for online sales and educational events has grown substantially, especially among the younger demographic. While we are supporting the EPI sale as sponsor, the great variety and geographical span of works in this year’s exhibition, from Tunisia, Nigeria, Botswana and Ethiopia, to Kenya, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and South Africa, gives our new audiences a unique engagement with the growing force that is emerging art on the continent!”

Strauss & Co is also hosting EPI’s programme of focused online events – panel discussions devoted to issues significant to young artists and art professionals as well as a virtual masterclass. Collectors can also view video interviews with the artists and if they want to book virtual studio visits they can do so through the Strauss & Co website or the EPI dedicated website (www.emergingpaintinginvitational.com).

“This year we also wanted to give special attention throughout the EPI programming to women artists and women art professionals. Our Jury this year comprises three incredible established women artists – Dorothy Amenuke (Ghana), Amel Bennys (Tunisia) and Florine Demosthene (Haiti/USA/Ghana),” comments Valerie Kabov, EPI co-founder and Director of First Floor Gallery Harare. “EPI is becoming an incredible journey to celebrate the breadth of talent we have across the spectrum of the art world in Africa, to allow new and different voices to be heard and the incredible complexity of artistic vision to be seen.”

Indeed, it is hard to generalize about the works of the 17 finalists in EPI 2020. There is the elegant formal geometric abstraction of Eyasu Telayneh (Ethiopia) and exquisite Dorra Mahjoubi’s (Tunisia) delicate miniatures, Agnes Wuruguru (Kenya) and Tashi Majiri’s (Zimbabwe) ethereal abstracts to mystic realism in the widely differing works of Kirubel Abebe, Lincoln Mwangi (Kenya) and Peteros Ndunde (Kenya). There is the poetry of daily life in the work of Emna Kahouaji (Tunisia), Elias Mung’ora (Kenya) and Selome Muleta (Ethiopia), as much as there is the protest and dystopia of daily life in the works of Sejiro Avoseh (Nigeria), George Masarira (Zimbabwe), Willy Karekezi (Rwanda) and Lwando Dlamini (South Africa). At the same time there is also dark humour to be found among the works of Kylie Wentzel (South Africa), Yolanda Mazwana (South Africa) and Thebe Phetogo (Botswana).

EPI Special auction continues until 8pm, Monday 19 October 2020 (https://www.straussart.co.za/auctions/gallery/19-oct-2020/1/1)

EPI winners will be announced at a zoom award ceremony starting at 6:15 pm, Monday 19 October 2020, hosted by Strauss & Co.