albertz benda will present works by Famakan Magassa and Esther Mahlangu at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London.

Based in Mali, Famakan Magassa was just selected as a finalist for the second iteration of the Norval Prize — an award that honors the most significant contemporary artists working in Africa. Magassa created during his residency this summer in France, at the Studio Orta Les Moulins. His works exemplify the artist’s skill for drawing humor and pathos from quotidian yet existential contradiction.

albertz benda will also be exhibiting works by Esther Mahlangu, one of South Africa’s most famous living artists. Her work belongs in the permanent collections of institutions around the world, including the Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond), and SA Roppongi Hills Art Museum (Japan).

Text: Courtesy of albertz benda.

Esther Mahlangu (b. 1935, Mddelburg, Mpumalanga). Ndebele Abstract, 2017. Acrylic on canvas. 39 3_8 x 59 inches. Image courtesy the artist and albertz benda, New York and Los Angeles.

Esther Mahlangu (b. 1935, Mddelburg, Mpumalanga). Ndebele Abstract, 2017. Acrylic on canvas. 47 1_4 x 47 1_4 inches. Image courtesy the artist and albertz benda, New York and Los Angeles.

Famakan Magassa (b. 1997, Kita, Mali). Le motard, 2022. Acrylic on canvas. 62 5_8 x 51 1_2 inches. Photo by Justin Piperger. Image courtesy the artist and albertz benda, New York and Los Angeles.

Famakan Magassa (b. 1997, Kita, Mali). Scène de danse, 2022. Acrylic on canvas. 58 5_8 x 78 3_8 inches. Photo by Justin Piperger. Image courtesy the artist and albertz benda, New York and Los Angeles.