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FauveParis
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Mickaël Bethe-Selassié (1951–2020) Chest with faces, 1986.
See original version (French)
82
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Mickaël Bethe-Selassié (1951–2020) Chest with faces, 1986.
See original version (French)
Estimate €500 - €800
Voluntary lot
Description
Mickaël Bethe-Selassié (1951–2020) Chest with faces, 1986. Made of wood, metal and papier mâché, painted and sculpted with facial motifs, signed and dated on the left-hand side. H. 29 cm, W. 73 cm, D. 33 cm. A true figure in contemporary African art, Mickaël Bethe-Selassié developed a self-taught artistic practice from the early 1980s onwards. Drawing on his initial training in physics and chemistry, he retained a keen interest in materials, their properties and their potential transformations.
Papier-mâché quickly became the Ethiopian sculptor’s medium of choice, which he applied to a pre-constructed framework. Colour, central to his work, then serves to adorn his creations.
The ‘Coffre visages’, which we are presenting today, is emblematic of Mickaël Bethe-Selassié’s work. With its technique and colour palette reminiscent of cave paintings, the work evokes an ancestral and timeless world, somewhere between dream and imagination.
Housed in numerous public collections and featured in the landmark exhibition *Paris noir* at the Musée national d’Art moderne (Centre Pompidou) in 2025, Mickaël Bethe-Selassié’s work remains largely unknown to the general public.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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