Sanyu, by Rita Wong
This comprehensive account follows the career of Sanyu (1895-1966) from China and Japan, to Paris and New York, exploring his integration of Western modernity with ancient traditions. Volume one is the biography, and volume two the catalogue raisonné.
• Sanyu: His Life and Complete Works in Oil, vols 1 and 2, by Rita Wong. Hatje Cantz, 248pp/496pp, 299/321 illustrations, €64/£64 and €88/£88 (hb), publication late March
Cecilia Gamberini’s Sofonisba Aguissola
Sofonisba Anguissola, by Cecilia Gamberini
The excellent Illuminating Women Artists series continues with volumes on the Cremona-born portraitist Sofonisba Anguissola (around 1532-1625) and the early 17th-century French still-life painter Louise Moillon. Cecilia Gamberini’s biography will focus on the significance of Anguissola’s role and status at the court of Philip II of Spain.
• Sofonisba Anguissola by Cecilia Gamberini. Lund Humphries, 144pp, 55 colour illustrations, £35 (hb), publication 15 April
Andrew James Hamilton’s The Royal Inca Tunic: a Biography of an Andean Masterpiece
The Royal Inca Tunic, by Andrew James Hamilton
Andrew James Hamilton carries out a meticulous examination of the 500-year-old imperial tunic, considered “the most celebrated Andean artwork in the world”, putting the case for its creation by two female artists on the eve of the devastating Spanish invasion.
• The Royal Inca Tunic: a Biography of an Andean Masterpiece, by Andrew James Hamilton. Princeton University Press, 344pp, 219 colour and 17 b/w illustrations, $55/£45 (hb), publication 14 May
Thomas Girst, Azu Nwagbogu and Hans Ulrich Obrist’s Esther Mahlangu: a Life in Colour
Esther Mahlangu, by Thomas Girst, Azu Nwagbogu and Hans Ulrich Obrist
Timed to coincide with a touring retrospective, this book will illuminate the life, work and creative process of the globally acclaimed South African artist through a sequence of interviews. Also from Thames & Hudson, in June, comes Ronald Moody: His Universe, the first major book on the Jamaica-born sculptor.
• Esther Mahlangu: a Life in Colour, by Thomas Girst, Azu Nwagbogu and Hans Ulrich Obrist. Thames & Hudson, 140pp, 80 illustrations, £19.99 (hb), publication 6 June
Esther Bell and Olivier Meslay’s Guillaume Lethière
Guillaume Lethière, by Esther Bell and Olivier Meslay (eds)
The son of a formerly enslaved mother and plantation-owning father, the painter Guillaume Lethière (1760-1832) enjoyed fame and success, yet he is now relatively unknown. All that should change this year with a ground-breaking exhibition at the Clark Art Institute/Louvre and this accompanying publication.
• Guillaume Lethière, by Esther Bell and Olivier Meslay (eds). Clark Art Institute/Yale, 400pp, 170 colour & b/w illustrations, £50 (hb), publication 25 June