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“I can remember being a little girl and wanting boobs and craving the power of womanhood. I imagined a level of agency and confidence that I would one day inhabit, which — if I’m being honest — eludes me even now.”
— Anna WeyantA Private Moment
A timeless capsule of female sensuality, a vignette set against a cinematic sombre setting, Chest eternalises femininity with charm, elegance and grace. Breath-takingly sensual yet tantalisingly voyeuristic, an undressed, porcelain female torso is presented before us in Chest: a work which encapsulates Canadian artist Anna Weyant’s most celebrated painterly fantasies - a gem of her popular figurative women paintings imbued with psychological decadence. Painted with a muted palette of neutral hues, the female body glows with skilled application of chiaroscuro in shades of sepia. The smoothly painted brushstrokes portray the light tinges of purple and blue on human flesh realistically. The position of the woman hints at her full awareness of being naked and observed, yet she shies and leans away to cover her breasts with her arm. We are met with a quiet sight simultaneously coy yet undeniably vulnerable: by veiling herself the torso accentuates her chest, her bosom constricting and heightening her femininity. The presentation of a realistically painted female body, anonymity, and self-conscious reaction to the spectator’s gaze on her nudity charge the painting with fantasy and imagination.
“[Weyant] conveys an understanding of her work’s roots while eliciting an immediate and emotional response.”
— GagosianInstagram Meets Old Masters
Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus (detail), 1485–1486
Uffizi Gallery, VeniceDrawing upon centuries of Western painting, Weyant references an eclectic range of art historical influences in Chest: she remodifies Venus’ pose in Renaissance masterpiece The Birth of Venus; utilises the palette of the seventeenth-century Dutch Old Masters; even extending her sources to present the human body to Contemporary artists John Curin, Jenny Saville and Francesca Woodman. Weyant particularly admires how Woodman captures the bends and folds of a woman’s physique against the light in photography, as demonstrated in Providence, Rhode Island from Space2. Clearly taking Woodman's style in her stride, Weyant portrays the covered up female body without full revelation, thoughtfully crafting an indirect pose in a deep psychological state, with a bit of darkness cast on their psyche.
Francesca Woodman, Providence, Rhode Island from Space2, 1976
© Woodman Family Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York“I like it when there's something that's not quite right in the image, something that doesn't fit… sometimes I have fun playing with the 'Instagram meets old painting' type of clash. ”
— Anna WeyantIn art making, Weyant also throws in contemporary social influences from pop culture, such as American cartoons and Instagram. The compositional arrangement of the present work has a zoom-in and cut-off effect like an Instagram post that conceals the identity of the woman, bringing the naked body to the fore. Another work by the artist, Stepped on a Spider also takes a similar approach on a pair of feet. The whimsical title of the work shows the artist’s sense of humour that encourages imagination while viewing her works. The artist has remarked, 'A little creepiness can save a painting sometimes. And then the gravity of the candle flicker behind her is off which makes you question the reality of the narrative.' The strange, almost eerie beauty in Chest is arresting, its imagery feels close to heart due to its referencing of cultural influences from history to the present day. A surreal, still image of an unknown female is thus tinged with an obscure kind of darkness, hinting at desire, while juxtaposing humour and solemnity, rebellion, and repression.
Collector’s Digest
Born 1995 in Calgary, Canada, Anna Weyant lives and works in New York. She received her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. Propelled into international stardom only within the past few years, Weyant has had multiple solo shows, beginning with her first high profile show, Welcome to the Dollhouse at 56 Henry, New York (2019), followed by Loose Screw at Blum & Poe, Los Angeles (2021) which sold out instantly; and Splinter with Blum & Poe, Tokyo (29 January - 12 March 2022) which has just closed.
In June 2021, Phillips New York had debuted Weyant’s work at auction with a work on paper that sold for more than five times its low estimate; in May 2022, her 2021 painting Buffett II, sold for US$730,800 (premium), more than seven times its low estimate.
In the same month, Gagosian gallery announced their solo representation of Weyant, making her the youngest artist to have joined the gallery’s roster at 27 years old. Her first solo exhibition with Gagosian, New York will be in the fall of this year.
Provenance
WOAW Gallery, Hong Kong
Acquired from the above by the present ownerExhibited
Hong Kong, WOAW Gallery, Allegory of Painting, 6-15 November 2020
8
Chest
signed and dated 'Anna Weyant 2020' on the reverse
oil on canvas
45.7 x 60.6 cm. (17 7/8 x 23 7/8 in.)
Painted in 2020.
Estimate
HK$500,000 - 700,000
€60,800-85,200
$64,100-89,700
Sold for HK$4,158,000
Charlotte Raybaud
Specialist, Head of Evening Sale
+852 2318 2026
CharlotteRaybaud@phillips.com
20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale
Hong Kong Auction 22 June 2022
1
Julie Curtiss
Funky Boots
Estimate HK$600,000 - 800,000
Sold for HK$1,071,000
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2
Jamian Juliano-Villani
Hand's Job
Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000
Sold for HK$819,000
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3
Lucy Bull
8:50
Estimate HK$1,000,000 - 1,500,000
Sold for HK$11,382,000
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4
Scott Kahn
Soundview
Estimate HK$900,000 - 1,400,000
Sold for HK$4,032,000
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5
Hernan Bas
Who Told Them We Were Coming?
Estimate HK$4,000,000 - 6,000,000
Sold for HK$3,528,000
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6
Shara Hughes
Pleasure House
Estimate HK$3,000,000 - 5,000,000
Sold for HK$6,542,000
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7
Loie Hollowell
Linked Lingam in Red and Blue
Estimate HK$1,800,000 - 2,800,000
Sold for HK$3,024,000
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8
Anna Weyant
Chest
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$4,158,000
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9
George Condo
Transparent Female Forms
Estimate HK$25,000,000 - 35,000,000
Sold for HK$36,550,000
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10
This lot is no longer available.
11
Matthew Wong
Pink Wave
Estimate HK$16,000,000 - 26,000,000
Sold for HK$22,635,000
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12
David Hockney
Painted Landscape (Or Red and Blue Landscape)
Estimate HK$16,000,000 - 24,000,000
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13
Ed Ruscha
Spied Upon Scene: Window
Estimate HK$3,500,000 - 5,500,000
Sold for HK$3,150,000
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14
Huang Yuxing
Pearl Shore
Estimate HK$1,500,000 - 2,500,000
Sold for HK$3,024,000
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15
This lot is no longer available.
16
Nicolas Party
Two Portraits
Estimate HK$6,000,000 - 8,000,000
Sold for HK$6,542,000
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17
George Condo
The Strangers
Estimate HK$5,000,000 - 6,500,000
Sold for HK$5,670,000
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18
Ernie Barnes
Life After Sundown
Estimate HK$1,500,000 - 2,500,000
Sold for HK$6,048,000
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19
Javier Calleja
1971
Estimate HK$3,500,000 - 5,500,000
Sold for HK$4,032,000
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20
Yoshitomo Nara
Untitled
Estimate HK$6,000,000 - 8,000,000
Sold for HK$7,510,000
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21
This lot is no longer available.
22
Adrian Ghenie
Pie Fight Study 4
Estimate HK$3,500,000 - 4,500,000
Sold for HK$4,032,000
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23
Michaël Borremans
Stars
Estimate HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000
Sold for HK$2,772,000
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24
Li Chen
Angelic Smile
Estimate HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000
Sold for HK$4,284,000
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25
Zhang Xiaogang
Bloodline Series - Big Family
Estimate HK$7,500,000 - 10,000,000
Sold for HK$8,115,000
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26
Zhang Enli
Things
Estimate HK$2,200,000 - 4,200,000
Sold for HK$2,520,000
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27
This lot is no longer available.
28
Lee Ufan
From Line No. 790372
Estimate HK$9,000,000 - 14,000,000
Sold for HK$11,140,000
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29
Pierre Soulages
Peinture 102 x 130 cm, 11 mars 2016
Estimate HK$7,500,000 - 10,000,000
Sold for HK$8,115,000
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30
Ouattara Watts
Intercessor
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$1,134,000
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31
Sam Francis
Untitled
Estimate HK$1,500,000 - 2,500,000
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32
KAWS
UNTITLED
Estimate HK$3,500,000 - 4,500,000
Sold for HK$3,276,000
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33
Kohei Nawa
PixCell-Deer #21
Estimate HK$2,800,000 - 3,500,000
Sold for HK$3,780,000
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34
This lot is no longer available.
35
Anna Park
I to I
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$2,268,000
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36
Trey Abdella
Some Things Aren't Worth Waiting For
Estimate HK$600,000 - 900,000
Sold for HK$2,646,000
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37
Szabolcs Bozó
One Bird, A Cat and A Man
Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000
Sold for HK$882,000
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38
Katherine Bernhardt
Laundry Day
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$2,142,000
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39
Issy Wood
Dog With Pendants (Not as Close)
Estimate HK$1,200,000 - 1,800,000
Sold for HK$1,386,000
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40
Robert Nava
Shark Wing Pegasus
Estimate HK$1,200,000 - 1,800,000
Sold for HK$3,780,000
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41
Ayako Rokkaku
Untitled
Estimate HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000
Sold for HK$8,115,000
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42
Allison Zuckerman
Bullseye
Estimate HK$550,000 - 750,000
Sold for HK$1,071,000
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43
Serge Attukwei Clottey
Valentine's Day
Estimate HK$250,000 - 450,000
Sold for HK$693,000
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44
Genieve Figgis
Pink Ballroom
Estimate HK$1,500,000 - 2,000,000
Sold for HK$2,016,000
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45
Emmanuel Taku
Brothers in Red
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$1,512,000
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46
Aboudia
Take Me II
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$2,520,000
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47
José Parlá
Writers' Bench: Grand Concourse & 149th Street, The Bronx
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$1,764,000
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48
Edgar Plans
Night Creatures
Estimate HK$1,200,000 - 1,800,000
Sold for HK$3,024,000
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49
Rafa Macarrón
Sin título (Cosmos)
Estimate HK$700,000 - 1,000,000
Sold for HK$1,386,000
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