Eastern Cape Echoes: From Lusikisiki to Johannesburg, Strauss & Co Celebrates Regional Talent Through July Auctions

Strauss & Co continues its commitment to honouring South African creativity with the ‘Eastern Cape Echoes: Selected Works from Tsitsikamma to Lusikisiki’ sale — a thoughtfully curated Timed Online Auction that shines a light on artists connected to the rich and storied Eastern Cape. Running until Tuesday, 15 July 2025, this virtual sale forms part of Strauss & Co’s dynamic July programme that also includes July ART, a Bordeaux-themed wine auction, and live virtual spotlight sales in Johannesburg.

The Eastern Cape Echoes collection brings together a wide-ranging selection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints inspired by the province’s dramatic seascapes, forests, and cultural landscapes. At its heart are five deeply expressive carvings by Julius Mfethe, a Port St Johns-born sculptor known for sourcing his own wood and crafting his tools. His works — such as Ox Sled with Oxen and Rider and Three Maidens — narrate intimate rural scenes and celebrate Eastern Cape life through masterful craftsmanship.

The auction also includes works by legendary South African artists like Walter Battiss, whose Market on a Waterway and Figures above a Waterfall exemplify his diverse visual language and enduring connection to the continent. Errol Boyley, Dorothy Kay, and George Pemba add to the offering with representations of the region’s natural and social landscapes, including Pemba’s evocative Arthur Wellington Church in New Brighton.

Adding contemporary colour and depth are previously unseen works by Robert Brooks and Jennifer Crooks, rare paintings from Michael Hallier, and pieces by Penny Siopis, Obie Oberholzer, Simon Stone, and others. The sale concludes with ceramics by Hylton Nel, whose Rhodes University roots and Port Elizabeth teaching career further tether this collection to the Eastern Cape.

Running in parallel is ‘July ART’ (2–14 July), Strauss & Co’s monthly online sale structured across six sessions — from Paintings and Prints to Sculptures and Re/View. Highlights include Carol Cauldwell’s bronze Valentines, Marlene Dumas’ compelling 1990s screenprint Faceless, Lionel Smit’s oil painting Resting Nude, and Sam Nhlengethwa’s poignant collage 16 June, a tribute to the 1976 Soweto uprising.

July’s expansive art experience also includes:

• ‘IMPR: Etchings and Linocuts by JH Pierneef’ (7–28 July), spotlighting Pierneef’s graphic work.
• ‘AbstRacT – Synchrony Revealed’ (4–23 July), a group show interpreting ecological cycles through abstract forms, in dialogue with works from the Rupert Museum collection.
• A Bordeaux-themed Wine Auction (2–14 July), appealing to wine aficionados with an eye for rare vintages.

Closing out the month are two major Live Virtual Auctions hosted from Strauss & Co’s Johannesburg offices on 22 July:

• Contemporary South African Ceramics: New Perspectives (2PM), offering innovative perspectives in local ceramic art.
• High Note: Modern and Contemporary Art (7PM), a spotlight auction that includes works from the collection of South African opera icon Mimi Coertse, whose legacy in music and cultural preservation is reflected in her curated artistic eye.

From Eastern Cape Echoes to international icons like Dumas and Nhlengethwa, Strauss & Co’s July offering is a panoramic celebration of heritage, storytelling, and artistic brilliance.

Explore the full auction programme online at www.straussart.co.za.