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Arts & Communication Contemporary art from the Global South

Table 1. (Continued)
Artist Nationality Sale date Auction Sale name Location Artwork Mid‑estimate Sale result Growth
house title magnitude
Salman Pakistan December 15, Philipps New Now London A £50,000.00 £378,000.00 7.5
Toor 2020 Auction Flourishing
City Near
the Yellow
River Source
September 28, Philipps New Now New York Purple $85,000.00 $302,400.00 NA
2021 Auction Air S
May 24, 2021 Christie’s 20 and 21 Hong Kong Adversité HKD 1,000,000.00 HKD 4,375,000.00 NA
st
th
Century Généreuse
Art Evening
Sale
May 11, 2021 Christie’s 21 Century New York Abstraction $125,000.00 $475,000.00 NA
st
Evening
Sale
st
May 10, 2022 Christie’s 21 Century New York Orchid $175,000.00 $882,000.00 5.0
Evening (Vanda)
Sale
Interestingly, Adams participated in an artist residence Salman Toor, the only artist from South Asia on the
program at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. list, explores the complexities of identity, sexuality, and

Born in 1988 in South Ibadan, Nigeria, Omofemi’s immigrant life in his artwork. He moved to the US in
artistic talent was recognized at a young age by his 2009 to pursue a Master of Fine Art (MFA) from the Pratt
community. From the age of eight, he washed cars, scrubbed Institute and has since exhibited his work in prestigious
plates, hawked beer, and toiled in a restaurant . Despite his institutions and galleries worldwide. Toor’s figurative
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humble beginnings, he used the money he earned to buy paintings often depict the everyday lives of fictional young,
art supplies for painting portraits. He aimed to capture the brown, queer men in contemporary cosmopolitan culture.
transcendent nature of women with different occupations Toor has a unique approach in examining vulnerability
and backgrounds in his artwork, using it to promote African within contemporary public and private life and the
fashion and feminine charm, showcase underprivileged notion of community in the context of queer diasporic
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people, and help rediscover Afrocentric pride. Omofemi’s identity . Some have argued that he intends to paint a
success story began when he won representation from world in which Western and Eastern figures would live
Alexis Gallery in Lagos 10 years ago, which has enabled in harmony together. Toor’s success can be attributed to
him to become a key figure on the Nigerian art scene. various factors, including his decision to reorient his work
In 2020 and 2021, Omofemi had successful shows at the toward the personal, his representation by prominent
Signature African Art Gallery in London and Out of Africa galleries, his participation in international art fairs, and his
Gallery. These exhibitions showcased his exceptional groundbreaking museum solo exhibition at the Whitney
talent and marked his growing influence in the global art Museum of Art in 2020. In 2013, he began to be represented
market . The peak of this artist’s career was reached when by Aicon Gallery, which showcased his work at various
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he received a commission to create a portrait of Queen international art fairs, providing him with exposure and
Elizabeth II for the cover of Tatler’s Platinum Jubilee issue visibility in the global art market. In addition, the Luhring
in 2021. This was a significant milestone for Omofemi, Augustine Gallery organized a solo exhibition for the artist
cementing his reputation as a talented and successful artist. in New York and showcased his work at Art Basel Miami
Omofemi’s artwork consistently outpaced expectations on in 2020. That same year, Toor had his first museum solo
the secondary market in the past 2 years. In December exhibition, “How Will I Know,” at the Whitney Museum
2021, his artwork Imaginary Morning Eclipse, estimated of Art, marking a significant milestone in his career. The
at £7,000, was sold for £100,800 at Phillips London impressive prices Toor’s works have achieved at various
(for approximately fourteen times the estimated price). auctions further demonstrate his success. The sale of his
This remarkable achievement for Omofemi stands as a painting A Flourishing City Near the Yellow River Source
testament to his talent and growing influence in the global for £3,780,000 (approximately seven times the estimated
art market. price) at Philipps London in 2020, and his painting

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/ac.1608