Ben Enwonwu 'Tutu' painting don sell for £1,200,000 for London
One ogbonge artwork wey di late Nigerian artist Ben Enwonwu do for 1973 don sell for £1.2mn.
'Tutu' don miss for over 50 years Di artwork, wey dem dey call 'Tutu', na painting of Ile-Ife Yoruba royal princess, Adetutu Ademiluyi wey don miss for over 50 years. International auction house, Bonhams, for United Kingdom, na im dey in charge of di sale wey dem do for London, but dem also do live broadcast of di sale for Lagos, so dat Nigerians fit get chance to try dia luck. Nigeria suppose investigate Ben Enwonwu missing painting - Expert 'Salvator Mundi' no fit happen for Africa now - Polly Alakija Nigerians no carry last, as many art buyers, art lovers and tori people dem full di venue of di sales for Wheatbaker Hotel Ikoyi, Lagos, at di same time wey international buyers enter dey for Bonhams venue for London. Dis na di first time Bonhams go do dis kain live broadcast and also di first time dem go sell 'Contemporary African Art' for evening. Bonhams bin dey expect to raise around £200,000 - £300,000 for dis artwork but di customers wey wan buy dis work just dey push di price up dey go. Even though e pass more than 90 African works na im dem auction from artists wey dey Nigeria, to Ghana and Mozambique for big-big money, na dis Enwonwu im painting na im collect di highest price.Dis na new record for African art. Nigerian writer Ben Okri talk say, as dem find dis artwork na reason to jolli because e fit change world art Igbo artist Enwonwu, wey be big-time artist for Africa and world, na 56 years old, when by chance im jam di Yoruba princess for Ile-Ife. Na so e begin paint her. Enwonwu, bin do three 'Tutu' paintings during 1973-74 but after im die for 1994, plenty of im artwork come miss. Before dem find dis particular one for one North London flat, people don believe say all di three don loss. Experts for world don talk say dis painting dey special because e fit change di way big countries dey look African art. Nigeria award winning writer Ben Okri say: "as dem discover dis painting, na one of di most important things wey go happen to African art for over 50 years. Na original Tutu...and na time to jolli because e fit to change world of art."