29th Oct, 2025 12:00
Modern & Contemporary African & Middle Eastern Art
22
EMMANUEL KAVI (TOGOLESE B.1972)
LE DEVOIR DE MEMOIRE
signed E.KAVI lower left; inscribed on the reverse
mixed media on canvas
77 x 61cm; 30 1/2 x 24in
85.3 x 69.7cm; 33 1/2 x 27 1/2in (framed)
Property of a Private Collector, Kent
Emmanuel Kavi’s work bridges figuration and abstraction through a tactile, layered approach that reflects both local and global art histories. Rooted in the aesthetic tenets of postcolonial modernism, his practice engages the intellectual legacy of Négritude, the mid-20th-century movement that sought to reclaim African identity and cultural agency within Francophone discourse.
In Le Devoir de Mémoire (2003), geometric, mask-like forms emerge from gestural fields of colour, recalling the formal experimentation of artists associated with Senegal’s post-independence Académie des Beaux-Arts founded by artists like Ibou Diouf. The title, translating to “The Duty of Memory”, suggests both a commemoration and a reckoning, as Kavi fuses abstract modernist syntax with African symbolic form. The present work stands as a meditation on the persistence of history, embodying the dialogue between tradition and modernity that defines Francophone African art in the postcolonial era.
Sold for £1,200
LE DEVOIR DE MEMOIRE
signed E.KAVI lower left; inscribed on the reverse
mixed media on canvas
77 x 61cm; 30 1/2 x 24in
85.3 x 69.7cm; 33 1/2 x 27 1/2in (framed)
Property of a Private Collector, Kent
Emmanuel Kavi’s work bridges figuration and abstraction through a tactile, layered approach that reflects both local and global art histories. Rooted in the aesthetic tenets of postcolonial modernism, his practice engages the intellectual legacy of Négritude, the mid-20th-century movement that sought to reclaim African identity and cultural agency within Francophone discourse.
In Le Devoir de Mémoire (2003), geometric, mask-like forms emerge from gestural fields of colour, recalling the formal experimentation of artists associated with Senegal’s post-independence Académie des Beaux-Arts founded by artists like Ibou Diouf. The title, translating to “The Duty of Memory”, suggests both a commemoration and a reckoning, as Kavi fuses abstract modernist syntax with African symbolic form. The present work stands as a meditation on the persistence of history, embodying the dialogue between tradition and modernity that defines Francophone African art in the postcolonial era.
Auction: Modern & Contemporary African & Middle Eastern Art, 29th Oct, 2025
If you want to start collecting striking modern and contemporary art in a newly developing market, our sales are for you. Each spring and autumn, the Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Department hold tightly curated, live and online auctions. Expect to find Arab artists such as Tahia Halim, Seif Wanly, Mahmoud Said and Mohanna Durra. African artists featured have ranged from modern masters such as Ablade Glover, Sam Ntiro and Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, to contemporary artists George Lilanga, Jilali Gharbaoui, Famakan Magassa, Christano Mangovo, Oluwole Omofemi, Esther Mahlangu and Brett Seiler.
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 26th October: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 27th October: 10am to 8pm (Drinks 5-8pm)
Tuesday 28th October: 10am to 5pm
