Eastern Cape Echoes: Selected Works from Tsitsikamma to Lusikisiki, July ART, Johannesburg spotlight sale & more

3 Jul 2025

Strauss & Co is pleased to present ‘Eastern Cape Echoes: Selected Works from Tsitsikamma to Lusikisiki’, a sale that brings together a selection of artworks by artists who either originate from, live in, or draw inspiration from the Eastern Cape — a region where storytelling takes root in fertile ground. Included in the Timed Online Auction (closing on Tuesday, 15th July) is a diverse offering of paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints, inspired by the dramatic coastline, lush forests, and rich biodiversity that define the Eastern Cape. 

The sale includes five remarkable carvings by Julius Mfethe, depicting country scenes with human figures and animals; Ox Sled with Oxen and Rider (estimate R20,000 – R30,000), Figure Milking a Cow (estimate R8,000 – R12,000), Horse and Rider (estimate R15,000 – R20,000), Three Maidens (estimate R25 000 – R35,000)  and Figure Drinking from a Bowl (estimate R8,000 – R12,000). Born in Port St Johns, Mfethe sourced his own wood and developed his tools to produce these meticulously crafted sculptures. Coming from a long line of talented craftsmen and women (his father and two brothers were specialist grass weavers), Mfethe imbued his works with rich storytelling and craftsmanship. 

Other highlights in the sale include three works by Walter Battiss: Market on a Waterway (estimate R150,000 – R200,000), a colourful oil painting inspired by Battiss’ travels to central Africa; To Pass the Time Away (estimate R15,000 – R20,000), a monochromatic work on paper with very thin markings depicting flora, fauna and human figures; and Figures above a Waterfall (estimate R25,000 – R35,000), a work with emphasis on space and proportion, highlighting Battiss’ engagement with graphic design language and elements. 

Errol Boyley’s Cattle by a Stream (estimate R15,000 – R20,000) is a realist depiction of a field with trees that highlights the artist’s exceptional use of light and shadow. Dorothy Kay’s The Amatola Mountains: Eastern Cape Youths (estimate R12,000 – R16,000) is an oil painting executed in her signature style of technical process and attention to detail.

Another key highlight is George Pemba’s rendering of the Arthur Wellington Church in New Brighton. Executed in an acrylic medium, the work exemplifies Pemba’s masterful use of colour. A large contingent of striking, colourful works by Brian Bradshaw, Robert Brooks, Jennifer Crooks, Michael Hallier, Walter Meyer, Penny Siopis, Simon Stone and Obie Oberholzer brings further vibrancy to this annual offering. We include previously unseen artworks from the collection of Robert Brooks and Jennifer Crooks, in addition to rare paintings from the collection of Michael Hallier.

The sale concludes with quirky ceramic works by Calitzdorp artist-potter,  Hylton Nel, who studied at Rhodes University and later taught ceramics, ceramic history, and drawing at Port Elizabeth Technikon. 

‘Eastern Cape Echoes’ takes place alongside ‘July ART’ (2 – 14 July 2025), our monthly online sale geared towards making art more accessible and expanding engagement with lesser-known artists. July ART brings together works across six sessions: Art Club, Paintings, Works on Paper, Prints and Multiples, Sculptures, Ceramics and Books and Re/View.

Key highlights include Carol Cauldwell’s Valentines (estimate R30,000 – R50,000), a sculpture cast in bronze with green and brown patina on a painted steel base; Marlene Dumas’ Faceless (estimate R30,000 – R50,000), a screenprint made in the early 1990s depicting a feminine figure with their head and torso covered, encapsulating many of the contradictory themes of subjectivity inherent in Dumas’ work; Lionel Smit’s Resting Nude (estimate R60,000 – R80,000), an oil painting in his signature style with surface gradations; as well as a significant work by Sam Nhlengethwa, titled 16 June (estimate R50, 000 – R70,000), which is a collage showcasing the 1976 Soweto uprising including the moving image of Mbuyisa Makhubu carrying the young Hector Pieterson.

These sales a part of a suit of exciting art, design and wine offerings during July, including ‘IMPR: Etchings and Linocuts by JH Pierneef’ (7 – 28 July), a timed online sale showcasing a selection of impressive etchings and linocuts by Pierneef; ‘AbstRacT – Synchrony Revealed’ (4 – 23 July), a group exhibition in response to works from the Rupert Museum collections. ‘AbstRacT – Synchrony Revealed’ has at its core the cycles of life — selections, eliminations and emphasis on the wonders of ecology. The featured artists interpret physical and organic material and abstracted views through realistic and symbolic associations. The show is a collision of multiple ideas, forms and shapes into a single exhibition space. Our July offering also includes our annual Bordeaux-themed Wine auction (2 – 14 July). 

These online sales are alongside two Live Virtual auctions in our Johannesburg offices, ‘Contemporary South African Ceramics: New Perspectives’ taking place on Tuesday 22nd July at 2 pm as well as the highly anticipated spotlight auction ‘High Note: Modern and Contemporary Art’, including works from the Mimi Coertse Collection taking place on Tuesday 22nd July at 7 pm. Through her art collection, the auction celebrates Mimi Coertse, a soprano and significant figure in the South African opera and classical music scene, whose repertoire includes Mozart’s Il Seraglio, Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann and Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème, among others.