Twenty rare and exceptional paintings and works on paper by Modernist Master, Alexander "Skunder" Boghossian (Ethiopian, 1937-2003) will be offered at Bonhams Modern & Contemporary African Art sale in New York on May 4. The works, all acquired directly from the artist's estate, were executed from the 1960s through the 90s with individual estimates ranging from $2,000 to $150,000.

Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams Director of Modern & Contemporary African Art, said: "Boghossian is one of Ethiopia's most highly regarded Modernist artists and we are delighted to offer the collection from the artist's family for the first time at auction. The dynamic works illustrate the diversity of multiple influences throughout his prolific career."

Alexander "Skunder" Boghossian was born in 1937 during Benito Mussolini's occupation of Ethiopia. In 1955, he enrolled at St. Martin's School of Art and Central School of Art and Design in London and then moved to Paris where he attended the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. Boghossian returned to Ethiopia in 1966 to teach at the School of Fine Arts. In 1969, Boghossian moved to the United States to take up a teaching post at Atlanta University and actively participated in the Civil Rights Movement. He later taught painting at Howard University in 1972 and became part of a culture of resistance by working alongside the period's most important activists.

Boghossian's status as a Modernist pioneer was reinforced when he became the first contemporary Ethiopian artist to have works purchased by the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris (1963) and the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1965).

To celebrate this rare collection, Bonhams will host Skunder Boghossian: A bridge from Africa to America, a virtual discussion on Wednesday, April 28 at 12pm EST. Panelists include Gus Casely-Hayford, ex-director, Smithsonian National Museum for African Art; Elizabeth Giorgis, Director of the Modern Art Museum: Gebre Kristos Deta Center, Addis Ababa University; and Farah Nayeri, New York Times.

Highlights from the collection include Union, 1966, a rich and complex painting composed of forms of African symbolism and iconography (estimate: $150,000-250,000); The Big Orange, 1971, a striking canvas full of various African animals and symbols (estimate: $150,000-250,000); and The Jugglers, 1962, an intriguing painting partially inspired by Cuban painter Wilfredo Lam whom he met in 1959 (estimate: $70,000-100,000).