A Celebration of Walter Battiss and South African Printmaking in Strauss & Co’s August Online Auctions 

7 Aug 2026

JOHANNESBURG – Strauss & Co invites collectors to explore two exceptional online art sales this August, each offering a distinctive collecting opportunity. Art by Others: Works on Paper from the Walter Battiss Estate, including Prints from Rorke’s Drift celebrates the remarkable legacy of one of South Africa’s most influential artists, while August ART features a special curated session of works exhibited by Strauss & Co in the 2026 Heat Winter Arts Festival alongside the regular auction sessions. Designed to appeal to both new collectors and established buyers, our August online auctions offer accessible price points across a wide range of collecting interests. 

Walter Battiss Estate — Prints from Rorke’s Drift and the Artist’s Own Circle

Art by Others: Works on Paper from the Walter Battiss Estate, including Prints from Rorke’s Drift.   Born in 1906 in the small Karoo town of Somerset East, Walter Battiss is one of South Africa’s most important artists. He was a master printmaker, draughtsman and watercolourist, and was also a dedicated educator, archaeologist and art critic. Battiss is perhaps most celebrated for his visionary Fook Island project, which he developed in the 1970s. Within this Fook universe, Battiss’ inventive spirit saw him create an imaginary civilisation with its own history, geography, language and values. 

Notably, lots 29 and 36 are Walter Battiss’ own works, rendered in the artist’s signature abstract style. Lot 19 by Katrine Harries and lot 39 by Enslin du Plessis express Battiss’ interest in collecting works from contemporaries he admired. Also on offer are prints by Michael Costello, whom Battiss frequently exhibited alongside; Dennis Press, whom he travelled with through the Arizona Desert; and his acquaintances Chris Spies, Tom Phillips and Gerrit Hilhorst. Together, these works speak to Battiss’ unique output, the artistic circles he was part of and the creative partnerships he nurtured throughout his career. 

The sale also includes prints Walter Battiss collected from students who trained at the Evangelical Lutheran Church Art and Craft Centre at Rorke’s Drift. Alongside acting as a mentor and external moderator at Rorke’s Drift, Battiss also served on the Art and Craft Centre’s board in the early 1970s. Presented here are woodcuts, linocuts and a screenprint by the likes of Ephraim Ziqubu, John Muafengejo, Caiphas Nxumalo and Azaria Mbatha that reflect the distinct figurative and narrative style Rorke’s Drift printmakers are known for. These works call to mind Battiss’ commitment to supporting a younger generation of artists and his influential teaching career that spanned close to four decades. 

August ART — Ctrl + Z: Works for the 2026 Heat Winter Arts Festival

A highlight of the August ART sale is the dedicated session, Ctrl + Z: A Selection of Works for the 2026 Heat Winter Arts Festival, featuring works from Strauss & Co’s exhibition Dreaming Impossible Things, on view at the Alliance Française du Cap from 6 –15 August as part of the 2026 Heat Winter Arts Festival in Cape Town. 

Heat’s 2026 theme, Ctrl + Z, calls us to reflect on the notion of undoing. It reminds us that while we can instantly undo our actions in the digital realm through the handy shortcut, in reality, repairing the damage of systems like colonialism, racism, patriarchy and capitalism is a far more complex endeavour. The selected works explore the devastating effects of our fractured relationship with the land. We have also included artworks that imagine how we might better honour the Earth’s resources and restore our sense of belonging within it. The title of the exhibition is taken from that of Carol-Anne Gainer’s triptych, which is a key work in the show. The title acknowledges how we still grasp towards healing and restitution despite the seeming impossibility of ‘undoing’ the destruction caused by oppression and unsustainable means of production. 

Regular August ART Sessions: Paintings, Prints, Ceramics and More

Highlights include Christine Dixie’s prints (lots 13, 14 and 15) that evoke the cautionary tale of the fall of Adam and Eve, becoming etched reminders of the devastating paths that greed and deception can lead us down. Lot 12 by Raymond Fuyana and lot 16 by Judy Woodborne speak to the devastation of the physical landscape, while Husan and Husain Essop recall the loss of land and highlight the importance of intangible heritage in lot 9. Greatjoy Ndlovu’s Optimism in Yellow (lot 4) reflects the need to embrace hope as we advocate for more sustainable and restorative ways of living. With this, Rain Battiss, Clifford Mpai and Raymond Andrews’ fertile landscapes help us envision the abundance that might await us in liberated and equitable futures. 

Alongside this curated session, the August ART sale also includes the regular sessions of Paintings, Works on Paper, Prints and Multiples, and Ceramics, Sculpture, Books & Textiles, offering collectors an extensive selection across a variety of media. 

Both sales are now open for bidding. August ART closes on Monday 17 August from 2 pm, while Running the Rule: Works on Paper from the Walter Battiss Estate, including Prints from Rorke’s Drift closes on Tuesday 18 August from 2 pm.