Phillips' new Asia headquarters in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District.
Favorite Artist: Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild (636), 1987. Sold for $34,800,000 at Phillips' 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale on 14 November 2023.
When it comes to abstract art, as with penalty kicks, one can never truly count the Germans out. Such was the artistic environment of the 1980s, when critics cynically insisted that there was nowhere left for painting to go. Enter Richter, enter Abstraktes Bild: a monumental work which has towered (quite literally; it’s eight feet tall) over the era’s castigatory rashness ever since. A match-winning performance from Richter, to beat this football metaphor into the ground.
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Favorite Sneak Peak: Emily Mae Smith
We visited the foundry as the bronze was poured for Smith’s Dropshop sculpture, Gazer, and discovered what the artist calls the “process of seduction” behind her practice.
Favorite Party Pad: Halloween at Andy’s
Andy Warhol, Skulls (detail), 1976. Sold for $107,950. Editions & Works on Paper, New York.
It’s a who-you-know industry, and Andy Warhol knows everyone. Play it cool and don’t get whiplash from the rock stars, actors, scientists, boxers, heads of state, and tastemakers around every corner of the Factory – after all, everyone’s there to see his collection of skulls.
Favorite Video Series: Living the Avant-Garde
Émile Bernard, Paysage de Bretagne (Paysage avec deux Bretonnes et vache), 1892. Sold for $1,143,000. Living the Avant-Garde: The Triton Collection Foundation.
Thirty masterworks, one vision: a century of innovation among the key artists and movements that define our contemporary understandings of art and artistry. In this four-part series, Jean-Paul Engelen and Miety Heiden unveiled this extraordinary collection and the artists who came to define the 20th century.
WATCH: Living the Avant-Garde
Part I: Living the Avant-Garde
Part II: Les Nabis
Part III: Cubist Masterpieces
Part IV: The Avant-Garde Lives
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Favorite Collaborator: Kenneth Tyler
Kenneth Tyler resting on the diving board of his swimming pool. Photo: © Lindsay Green.
The dude abides; he also runs one hell of a workshop. Join David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein for a trip up to Mount Kisco and discover the fine art of printmaking – just remember to bring a bathing suit, as Hockney loves a post-shift dip.
Favorite Destination: Hong Kong
A year of firsts kicked off in style with the opening of Phillips’ new Asia headquarters in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District in March and we haven’t slowed down since. Across every department, our inaugural Hong Kong auctions showcased the vibrant market for art and Phillip’s continued commitment to the Asian market.
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Favorite Breakout Artist: Jadé Fadojutimi
Jadé Fadojutimi, Quirk my mannerism, 2021. Sold for $1,935,500. 20th Century & Contemporary Art New York, Evening Sale.
It’s been another standout year for the British painter, whose Quirk my mannerism set a world auction record for the artist’s work this fall at Phillips. At the heart of Fadojutimi’s practice is a spontaneity that embraces the physical aspect of painting; as she notes, she often “dances and runs at the canvas, scales ladders, cries, and sometimes breaks off to write in [her] diary” during sessions. With that in mind, the editors would like to take the opportunity to thank you, Jadé, for platforming crying and giving in to distractions instead of hitting deadlines. Now if we could only paint that well…
Favorite Color: Pink
A Fancy Intense Pink diamond ring, sold for CHF11,900,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: ONE.
2023 was the year of rich pink hues, according to, well, everyone: Pantone declared Viva Magenta as the Color of the Year; Margot Robbie unraveled the existential heart of Barbie’s bright-pink universe, and the jewel that turned all the heads at Phillips was of course the 20.19-carat fancy Intense pink diamond featured in The Geneva Jewels Auction: ONE.
Favorite Documentary: The Imperial Patek Philippe
A photo taken by Russell Working during an interview with Georgy Permyakov in Khabarovsk in 2001. © Russell Working.
A watch unlike any other, and a story to match. Discover the extraordinary bond between Aisin-Gioro Puyi — the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty — and his Soviet interpreter, Georgy Permyakov. The Imperial Patek Philippe explores this unlikely friendship, symbolized by a series of gifts made by Emperor Puyi during his years held captive in a Soviet camp.
Favorite Slasher: Lucio Fontana
Phillips’ editorial department is often tasked with answering the big questions: What is art? What does it mean to create? Unfortunately, our unedited, 800-page treatise could not be published this year due to bandwidth issues and miscellaneous feedback sessions which can be summarized as please don't do that, but we did get the next best thing: Italian philosopher Federico Campagna’s examination of Lucio Fontana’s destruction as a mode of revealing the totality of the canvas. It’s a succinct version of everything we would have said, trust us.
Favorite Birthday: London Editions Turns 10
Robert Indiana, Numbers, 1968. Sold for £35,560. Evening & Day Editions London.
A toast to ten years and the artists who make it all worth celebrating. Moving forward, we’ll be sure to keep a full set of Robert Indiana Numbers screenprints for all of our milestone needs.
Favorite Studio Visit: Se Oh
Sculptor Se Oh invited us into his lush LA oasis for a glimpse into his unique creative process. Come for the beautiful ceramics, stay for the garden envy, and Frieze in Seoul with Phillips.
Favorite Potters: Lucie Rie and Hans Coper
Lucie Rie and Hans Coper outside 18 Albion Mews, summer 1956. From the Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts, RIE/20/2/9.
Connections spark conversations, and those conversations, in turn, take on a life of their own through creativity. Artist Edmund de Waal explored these inventive relations between Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, and how history runneth over in a collection of incredible ceramics.
Favorite Comeback: The National Portrait Gallery
Alison Smith, Chief Curator of the National Portrait Gallery.
Chief Curator Alison Smith gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the Gallery’s transformation and upcoming exhibitions since underoing an extensive renovation project which began in 2020.
Favorite Playlist: Downtown is Up
A little nostalgia never hurt anyone, especially when the tunes are just right. Reminisce on the old days, when the rent was low and the energy was high, with this curated playlist in honor of the likes of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Favorite Gallery Tour: Hong Kong Debuts
Following the opening of Phillips Hong Kong in the city’s West Kowloon Cultural District, the new gallery was buzzing with anticipation for our first sale in the new space. Charlotte Raybaud walked us through a remarkable selection from the kickoff 20th Century & Contemporary Art sale, featuring works by Hernan Bass, Rishi Johnson, Andy Warhol, and many more.
Favorite Photographer: Steven Klein
Steven Klein, Kate Moss, New York City, 8 May 2003. Sold for £6,985. Photographs London.
Fashion comes out on top two years in a row – following Ellen von Unwerth’s ULTIMATE collection in 2022, Steven Klein brought his own archival Polaroids to auction with a subject list so star-studded that we only need mononyms: Kate, Naomi, Claudia, Gwyneth, Madonna and Prince. How's that for a first-name basis?
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Favorite City Guide: Milan
Carolina Lanfranchi, Phillips’ Regional Director & Margherita Solaini, Specialist, pictured in front of two works by Lucio Fontana.
What to see and where to see it in the Italian fashion capital. Naturally at the top of any itinerary should be Phillips’ new exhibition space on Via Lanzone, but with all the restaurants listed here, we wouldn’t fault you for enjoying a nice passeggiata before getting to the gallery.
Recommended Reading
Phillips 2023: A Year of Firsts >
Phillips 2023: Top Six Lots Across the House