黑料不打烊

In the dynamic landscape of the global art market, Sotheby’s upcoming auctions in Hong Kong continue to command plenty of attention. Contributing a rich blend of Eastern and Western art, Sotheby’s Hong Kong sales represent a mix of diverse tastes for perceptive collectors around the world. Hong Kong’s unique position as a global financial center and a gateway to Asia makes it an ideal location for Sotheby’s auctions – as bidders vie for prized artworks ranging from classical Chinese paintings to contemporary Western art, the auctions serve as a meeting point for East and West, where traditional Chinese art combines with contemporary masterpieces. Even though Sotheby’s auctions in Hong Kong feature art from around the world, there is a special emphasis on Asian art, reflecting the region’s rich cultural heritage and growing influence in the art market, with collectors eager to acquire sought-after pieces that reflect the traditions and craftsmanship of past centuries.

To start off its spring Hong Kong sales, which all together are expected to bring in around $128 million – $195 million, Sotheby’s will host two auctions on April 5, a Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction and The Now Evening Auction – the auction house’s new category which focuses on ultra-contemporary art – with a combined estimated value of $82 million – $119 million; consisting of a mix of Western and Eastern Art, with headliners including Yoshitomo Nara, Yayoi Kusama, Pablo Picasso, Nicolas Party and Claude Monet.

Yoshitomo Nara, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, 2017, acrylic on canvas. Photo: Sotheby’s

The Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction will offer the highlight of all the sales: Yoshitomo Nara’s I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, 2017, valued at $10.2 million – $15.3 million, it is a personal favorite of the artist that was chosen as the cover image for the book on Nara’s life and career, written by art historian Yeewan Koon and released in 2020, as well as the selected principle image for two of the artist’s latest exhibits, one at LACMA and the other at Aomori Museum of Art, where the artist is from. The sale will also feature the subsequent top lots of all the Hong Kong sales: Picasso’s Le Peintre, 1963 ($8.4 million – $11.4 million), Monet’s Route de Monte-Carlo, 1883 ($5.7 million – $8.3 million), and Yayoi Kusama’s Portrait, 2015 ($4.8 million – $6.1 million), while also presenting works by other big names such as Pierre-August Renoir, Wifredo Lam, Andy Warhol, not without leaving sufficient room for important Chinese Contemporary artists, with Zao Wou-Ki, Wang Huaiqing, Wu Guanzhong, and Chu Teh-Chun among them.

Yayoi Kusama, Portrait, 2015, acrylic on canvas. Photo: Sotheby’s

Two other interesting lots from this sale are Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin, 2019 ($3.5 million – $4.8 million), featuring one of the artist’s favorite subjects; and Yoshitomo Nara’s Untitled, 2008 ($3.5 million – $4.4 million), returning to auction for the first time in over a decade, and part of the artist’s beloved billboard paintings.

Among the exciting Chinese art, Le poids du devenir, 2005 ($3.5 million – $4.8 million) by Chu Teh-Chun, is one of apparently only eight known large-scale triptychs made by the artist, which adds to both its aesthetic and collection value; Zao Wou-Ki’s 04.10.85, 1985 ($4.4 million – $5.7 million), was used in the poster for the 1988 Seoul Olympics titled Tree of Life; and Wang Huaiqing’s Gold stone, 1998, was sold for $2.7 million in 2007 and is now offered with an estimate of $4 million – $5.1 million.

Zao Wou-Ki, 04.10.85, 1985, oil on canvas. Photo: Sotheby’s

Ultra-contemporary arrtist Nicolas Party’s Still Life, 2017, is leading The Now Evening Auction with an estimate of $2.5 million – $3.8 million, followed by George Condo’s Green Eyed Lady, 2016, with an estimate of $1.2 million – $2.5 million, and Rashid Johnson’s The Crowd, 2017, which is appearing in the same Sotheby’s Hong Kong marquee week for a second time after being sold in April 2022 for just over $1 million.

Nicolas Party, Still Life, 2017, soft pastel on linen. Photo: Sotheby’s

On April 6, Sotheby’s will hold a Contemporary Day Auction, estimated to register $11.8 million – $17.7 million, which includes Yoshitomo Nara’s Guitar Girl on the Ice, 1994 ($1.9 million – $2.5 million) and Matthew Wong’s Another Day, 2018, after it sold for $990,000 in 2020, now with an estimate of $1 million – $1.5 million. Interestingly, the sale will also include a sculpture installation by Yayoi Kusama titled Six Guests from 1986, expecting bids starting at just under $1 million.

Finally, to finish the season’s marquee week in Hong Kong, Sotheby’s will divide its Fine Chinese Painting category in three auctions: Hidden Treasures from the Liu Hankun Family Collection, Fine Chinese Paintings, and The Leshantang Collection II: Treasures of Chinese Art from the Tsai I-Ming Collection. In the first auction, the headliner Zhang Daqian’s Hermit in Verdant Forest, 1947, will be offered to market for the first time with an estimate of $3.1 million – $5.1 million. The second auction will include a Qi Baishi scroll titled Goshawk on Towering Pine Tree for $1.9 million – $3.8 million, in its Fine Chinese Paintings sale on April 8. The auction house states that the 20^th century painting is more than eight feet tall and that it’s a rare and large-scale painting of pine eagles handed down by the artist. The sale will also include Zhang Daqian’s Lady by the Lotus Screen, 1966 ($1.2 million – $1.9 million), a rare figure painting by the artist, among other modern Chinese paintings and calligraphy masterpieces by leading artists from important private collections.

Zhang Daqian, Hermit in Verdant Forest, 1947, ink and color on paper. Photo: Sotheby’s

Over the years, Sotheby’s Hong Kong sales have set numerous records and made headlines around the world. As the art market evolves and tastes shift, these record-breaking sales of important contemporary masterpieces, demonstrate the growing strength of the Asian market. As Sotheby’s continues to expand its presence in Asia, the future of the spring Hong Kong sales looks brighter than ever. With growing interest from collectors in the region, the auctions are poised to reach new heights in the years to come.

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