Lot 174A
Benezate (Ghana, XX). Mixed Media Sculpture (oil paint, wood, an glass), ca. 1990. A dynamic fusion of sculptural invention and cultural metaphor, this whimsical yet architectonic mixed media work was created by Ghanaian artist Benezate (also known as Bene Zate or Gaponu) around 1990. Crafted in wood, oil paint, and glass, the piece evokes the playful grandeur of Ghana's famed "fantasy coffins" while operating on its own as an object of artistic imagination. At the heart of the composition swims a painted dolphin rendered in the round, encased within a boldly patterned rectangular frame. Four stylized columns flank the sides, edged with jagged, lightning-bolt contours that add rhythm and vertical tension. The roof, lifted in a shallow arc, bears a silhouetted crescent form atop its cream-painted surface, an abstract echo of adinkra symbolism. Glass panels and painterly detailing in pale blue, black, ivory, and green give the object a luminous clarity and modernist edge. Size: 30" L x 16.5" W x 23.5" H (76.2 cm x 41.9 cm x 59.7 cm)
Though not a coffin in itself, the work resonates with the tradition of fantasy coffins or Fantastic Afterlife Vehicles (FAVs), distinctive to the Ga people of coastal Ghana. These sculptural coffins are custom-made to reflect the passions, status, or profession of the deceased, celebrating continuity between earthly life and ancestral legacy. Dolphins, associated with grace, joy, and fluid motion, may here suggest a spirit at ease in the waters of the afterlife. Benezate's sculptural vision blends tradition and experimentation, seriousness and wit. The structure could be interpreted as a spiritual ark, a shrine, or a display throne - all equally viable in the context of Ga cosmology, which acknowledges that the sacred may swim among us in fantastical forms.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection
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#193691
- Condition: Unsigned. Possible professional repairs with some stable fissures to wood and abrasions in areas. Minor nicks to some corners and light patina to surface. Otherwise, impressive presentation with great pigments.
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