Awol Erizku - Photographs from the Martin Z. Margulies Foundation New York Thursday, April 4, 2024 | Phillips

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  • “I want the [Art History] conversation to be louder and amongst as many people as possible.”
    —Awol Erizku
    Ethiopian-American artist Awol Erizku’s visual language centers around questions of identity and inclusion as well as the wealth of 'a global Afropolitan perspective.' Here, he documents the elaborate ways men style their hair into unique headdresses, each set against a striking red background. For the artist, photography becomes an uplifting means to celebrate the everyday creativity that articulates contemporary African social and cultural life. He understands that for beauty to be recognized in a museum, it must first be recognized in culture at large. In discussing the work of his contemporary predecessors, Erizku noted, 'The artists that came before me who are critiquing the system were and are only concerned about raising these issues and talking about them to other artists. As much as I find that interesting and necessary, it is far more important to me that the work is accessible to a larger audience—and that they come to see it.'

    • Provenance

      Hasted Kraeutler, New York, 2014

    • Exhibited

      The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion, Aperture, New York, 24 October 2019 - 19 January 2020; Bunjil Place, Narre Warren, Australia, 21 March – 27 September 2020; Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, 29 January – 14 March 14

    • Literature

      Aperture, Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax, pp. 125-128

63

Heads

2013
A grid comprised of 9 archival pigment prints.
Each 10 1/2 x 8 in. (26.7 x 20.3 cm)
Overall: 41 3/8 x 33 5/8 in.

Signed in ink, printed, title, date and number 1/3 on an artist's label affixed to the reverse of one mount.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
$10,000 - 15,000 

Sold for $27,940

Contact Specialist

Caroline Deck
Senior Specialist, Photographs
cdeck@phillips.com

Vanessa Hallett
Worldwide Head of Photographs and Chairwoman, Americas
vhallett@phillips.com

Photographs from the Martin Z. Margulies Foundation

New York Auction 4 April 2024