Artists

From Albert Adams to Portia Zvavahera, Strauss & Co maintains a detailed database of every artist sold at auction since 2009. Whether it is painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, ceramics or new media, this searchable database lists by artist every lot offered and provides aggregated data useful to collectors. Famous South African artists like William Kentridge, JH Pierneef, Alexis Preller and Irma Stern are introduced with helpful biographies along with the best contemporary artists.



Value your Art?Do you know the value of your Art?

Sydney Kumalo

South African 1935-1988 


Sydney Kumalo born and grew up in Soweto, Johannesburg. He attended Polly Street Art Centre from 1948 where he studied under Cecil Skotnes. He soon became an assistant to Skotnes and later a teacher at the school. The Centre was forced to close in 1957, but reopened in a new location as the Jubilee Art Centre, where Kumalo continued to teach and mentor students. He worked on two mural commissions for churches with Skotnes and spent time in the studio of Edoardo Villa where he was exposed to the work of modernist sculptors such as Constantin Brâncuși, Henry Moore and Marino Marini. In 1962, Kumalo had his first solo exhibition at Egon Guenther’s gallery and showed later in the 60s with Guenther’s Amadlozi Group, which included Villa, Skotnes, Cecil Sash, Giuseppe Cattaneo and later Ezrom Legae.

Kumalo was exposed to central and west African sculpture though Guenther’s extensive collection and synthesised his own style from African and Modernist precedents. His bronzes depict human and animal forms, sometimes in combination, using expressive figuration with striated and stippled surface texture. Kumalo had work on numerous local and international exhibitions including at the Grosvenor Gallery, London, in 1965 and 1967, and at the Venice and São Paulo Biennales in 1966 and 1968, respectively. His work is in the collections of the Johannesburg Art Gallery; Rembrandt van Rijn Art Foundation; Iziko South African National Gallery; University of Fort Hare; and Wits Art Museum.


120 lots offered      82.50% sold      ZAR 30 590 336
 

  Including Premium and VAT Results include Buyer's Premium and VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Abstract Figure
8 Jul 2024
Sold for ZAR 15 243
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Nude Study
10 Jun 2024
Sold for ZAR 9 380
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Two Bulls (SK86)
28 May 2024
Sold for ZAR 293 125
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Two Figures
11 Mar 2024
Sold for ZAR 8 794
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Yellow Form
7 Nov 2023
Sold for ZAR 26 450
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Equestrian Figure
7 Nov 2023
Sold for ZAR 46 288
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Reclining Figure
7 Nov 2023
Sold for ZAR 36 800
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Hugging Figure (SK24)
7 Nov 2023
Sold for ZAR 175 875
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Squat Head (SK42)
7 Nov 2023
Sold for ZAR 346 575
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Joyous Reclining Figure/Reclining Joyous Figure (SK120)
5 Jul 2023
Sold for ZAR 172 500
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Man on Horse (SK89)
5 Jul 2023
Sold for ZAR 462 100
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Sydney Kumalo; Study for Mythological Rider (SK123)
5 Jul 2023
Sold for ZAR 438 995
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT

VAT is charged on both hammer and premium for daggered lots.

Results in green indicate post sales.