SYDNEY.- Bonhams Australia will present a substantial number of significant and deeply personal works from Gene and Brian Sherman’s contemporary art collection in the forthcoming auction SHERMAN | 100. Taking place on Wednesday 11 May 2022, the auction is a veritable roll call of national and international contemporary artists from the last thirty years.

Gene Sherman is one of Australia’s most respected philanthropists and art collectors, who, together with her beloved husband Brian, has passionately and astutely collected some 900 pieces from significant Australian, Asian and international artists.

The Shermans have generously gifted numerous large scale works of art to many cultural institutions including MOMA in New York, TATE Modern in London, Art Gallery of NSW, National Gallery of Australia, Sydney University’s Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Melbourne and several regional galleries. The SHERMAN | 100 sale is a carefully curated selection of mostly intimate works that cluster around the often-monumental pieces remaining in the Family Foundation and, via past and ongoing donations, held in significant public collections.

Director of Bonhams Australia, Merryn Schriever comments: The Sherman Collection has been accumulated over a lifetime with a complex and layered connection to many acclaimed artists. The Shermans are renowned for collecting key artists’ work in-depth, and often from the early stages of the artist’s development. For example, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF, 2008-2017) presented Ai Weiwei’s first-ever major solo exhibition, and Gene recognised Shaun Gladwell’s prodigious talent at Art School and has supported and acquired the artist’s work throughout his career.

Gene formed early, long-standing relationships with Contemporary Chinese artist royalty - Ai Weiwei, Zhang Huan, Guan Wei and Ah Xian – each of whom is now celebrated on the international stage, continued Ms Schriever.

Dr Gene Sherman comments: It has been a deep joy to have developed lifelong friendships with so many wonderful creative practitioners including, amongst many others; Janet Laurence, with whom we have a mutual and abiding interest in plant and animal life; Imants Tillers, one of the very first artists to join Sherman Galleries; and Zhang Huan, whose remarkable mega-scaled Shanghai studio Brian and I visited many decades ago, just as his practice was taking off.

Now is the time to be editing and reducing our extensive collection to core museum-scale work – simplifying our lifelong collecting endeavours and setting the stage for future generations.

Merryn Schriever, Director Bonhams Australia and the Australian Bonhams team have brought to market numerous single owner collections, including the highly successful sales of works collected by James Fairfax, Michael Hobbs, and Lucio Galletto (Lucio’s Restaurant).

SHERMAN | 100 includes work by Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan | Shaun Gladwell | Petrina Hicks | Zhang Huan | Janet Laurence | Mike Parr | Greg Semu | Tim Storrier | Imants Tillers | Guan Wei | Ai Weiwei.