Phillips Auction
Exhibitions
Presented at Phillips Auction House for the 2023 Ultimate Exhibition & Auction in London, featured works from Boys Will Always Be Boys by Carlos Idun-Tawiah.
Presented as Carlos Idun-Tawiah’s auction debut at Phillips, Boys Will Always Be Boys was realized through close collaboration on curation and editioning, helping shape the project’s introduction into an auction context.
Boys Will Always Be Boys by Carlos Idun-Tawiah was presented at Phillips Auction House in London as part of their 2023 Ultimate Exhibition & Auction, marking Carlos’s debut at auction. The presentation featured works from the ongoing series, which explores themes of brotherhood, kinship, and memory through scenes drawn from Idun-Tawiah’s upbringing in Accra.
Central to the exhibition was the photograph What Are Brothers For?, described by the artist as a “statement of hope” and an expression of brotherly love. Drawing from his childhood experiences, Idun-Tawiah reflects on football as both escape and therapy, using the game as a lens through which ideas of connection and care unfold. In the image, vibrant red, yellow, and green tones echo the Ghanaian flag, standing in contrast to the muted street setting as one brother carries the other on his shoulders.
We partnered closely with Carlos and Rachel Peart, Head of Department at Phillips, collaborating on curation, edition strategy, and design to bring the project into an auction context. Together, we helped shape how the work was presented and released, ensuring clarity, intention, and long-term collectability.
The editioning approach established for this presentation set a clear foundation for the work’s entry into the auction market, reinforcing its position as a long-term value carrier while preserving the integrity of the series.
Carlos Idun-Tawiah is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Contemporary African Photography Prize (2023), the British Journal of Photography’s OpenWalls Arles Prize (2023), Palm* Photo Prize People’s Choice Award (2021), and Belfast Photo Festival’s 2023 Spotlight Award for this project. His work has been widely published in Vogue, GQ, and the Financial Times, and featured on the cover of Aperture, Issue 251.
Exhibition Dates
15 November 2023 – 21 November 2023
Auction Date
21 November 2023
Location
London Galleries
30 Berkeley Square
London, W1J 6EX
United Kingdom
Lot Details
Image: 127 x 127 cm (50 x 50 in.)
Frame: 132 x 132 cm (51 7/8 x 51 7/8 in.)
Signed in ink, printed, title, date and 'unique' on a Certificate of Authenticity accompanying the work.
This work is number 1 from the edition of 1 and is unique in this size.
Sold for £22,860.