Yoshitomo Nara Broken Treasure, 2012. Estimate: HK$100,000 - 200,000.
Delissa Handoko, Hong Kong
Head of Online Sales, 20th Century & Contemporary Art
Much like most of Yoshitomo Nara’s works, My Little Treasure, 2010, features the artist’s signature melancholic children, whose expressions betray a curiously adorable yet complex range of emotions. The innocent joy that can be found in everyday objects like a little plant reminds us to cherish and value the simple things in life and that is what I appreciate most about this work.
Nara nods to the traditional Japanese genre of ukiyo-e, infusing his unique aesthetic with the classic woodblock printing technique dating from the 17th Century. The end results are singular images of adorable little girls that are a little rough around the edges, especially with their naturally uneven woodcut lines. Considering the prices that Nara works are garnering on the secondary market now, the print is also a very affordable option for enthusiasts looking for work from a blue chip artist.
Yoshitomo Nara My Little Treasure, 2010. Estimate: HK$100,000 - 200,000
The innocent joy that can be found in everyday objects like a little plant reminds us to cherish and value the small things in life and that is what I appreciate most about this work.
Jane Yoon, Seoul
International Specialist, 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Regional Director
Pumpkins and infinity nets immediately come to mind when speaking of Yayoi Kusama. The sweeping field of dots that haunted her as a child have become the prolific style of Kusama, using iconic infinity nets technique to create and endless lace-like pattern composed of monochromatic circles.
What’s special about Citrouille (II), 2000 is that it an Hors Commerce (out of trade print proof) that is typically not for sale and reserved only as gifts by the artist, making this an extremely rare and valuable work. This piece is especially unique for Kusama’s unusual color choice for this work and the additional glitter embellishments which demand the attention of the viewer.
Yayoi Kusama Citrouille (II), 2000. Estimate: HK$200,000 - 300,000
Isaure de Viel Castel, Hong Kong
Head of Department, 20th Century and Contemporary Art
This early Banksy screen print, Bomb Love, 2003 is so powerful because it questions the dichotomy of love and war, a popular and conflicting social issue that the artist has touched on in many of his works. The same year he created this piece, he also depicted a similar image as a mural in London and Brighton.
Banksy released 150 signed and 600 unsigned prints, which eventually was available in several colourways, but was originally intended in bubblegum pink as seen in Lot 13.
The irony of a young girl embracing an aerial bomber suggests that love prevails over war. It questions the challenges portrayal of warfare that is glamorized in the media and infers that the forces of love and peace may triumph over violence.
Banksy Bomb Love, 2003. Estimate: HK$60,000 - 80,000
Banksy is an activist using images as weapons to awake us. He believes that each of us, even at our small level, has a responsibility today to build a world of peace for the future of our children.
Meiling Lee, Taipei
International Specialist, 20th Century & Contemporary Art
Three common themes frequently found in the works of Nobuyoshi Araki include eroticism, life and death. To portray these themes, Araki often uses female nudity to convey these messages. In Red Kimono, 2004 he features Kaori, a muse that has turned to for inspiration for over 15 years.
Though this piece does not depict the usual naked female form found in most of Araki’s work, the upturned lips of Kaori and her gaze almost still exudes a sense of seduction. What’s amusing about the composition is the unnatural and labored setting. The clash of opposing traditions with the customary Japanese kimono and plastic dinosaur toys in the background expresses the artist’s wit and his play on cultural conflicts.
Nobuyoshi Araki Red Kimono, 2004. Estimate: HK$40,000 60,000
Sandy Ma, Singapore
International Specialist, 20th Century & Contemporary Art
Indonesian contemporary artist Roby Dwi Antono has gained increasing attention in the recent years. Known for his unique visual language and starry-eyed children against bare backgrounds, he attempts to create a balance between the sweet and the sinister, the pure and the mysterious.
In most of his works, including KIRANA, 2019 (Lot 23), Antono attempts to pull at the heartstrings. The artist famously said, “What I want is for people to look at the paintings and smile, but also to stand there stunned or with a sense of sadness.”
Roby Dwi Antono KIRANA, 2019. Estimate: HK$40,000 - 60,000
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24/7: Online Auction 9 - 19 October 2020
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