Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
"I love painting on something that is much bigger than I am. Moving to and fro between the corners of such a huge canvas makes me feel as if the colours are flowing through my body."
— Ayako RokkakuAyako Rokkaku’s work Untitled, created on site in 2007 during her solo exhibition Walkin Around Clouds at Galerie Delaive, is one of her earliest and most substantial pieces to appear at an auction The image depicts a young girl with prominent, expressive eyes that draw the viewer's attention, evoking a sense of innocence and curiosity. The floral elements surrounding her seem to be in a state of motion, enhancing the liveliness of the scene. The artist's technique of using her fingers is evident in the textured strokes and dabs of paint that give the painting a tactile quality. The choice of a warm, vivid palette creates a joyful atmosphere, and the loose, unstructured nature of the flowers suggests a sense of freedom and spontaneity. This piece might be seen as a celebration of the simplicity and wonder found in childhood, encapsulating the artist’s intention to connect with the pure joy of creation experienced during youth.
As a self-taught artist, Ayako Rokkaku's technique is highly distinctive, characterized by her use of finger painting, a technique she developed at the age of 20. By applying paint directly with her fingers and hands, she forgoes traditional painting tools, allowing for a more intimate and immediate connection with her canvas. This tactile approach brings a sense of spontaneity and raw energy to her work. The textures and patterns created by her fingers are unique and cannot be replicated with brushes; they bear the direct imprint of her physical interaction with the materials. Without the influence of a structured academic background, her art remains uninhibited and personal. This approach aligns with her philosophy of capturing the creativity and unfiltered expression found in childhood, a time when one is not bound by rules and techniques are often discovered through playful experimentation.
The artist creating the present lot at Galerie Delaive in 2007. Image: © Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam Ayako Rokkaku's preference for large canvases is a significant aspect of her artistic expression. She deliberately chooses these vast surfaces as they allow her to physically engage with her work in a very dynamic way. The size of the canvas offers her the space to move around freely, to use broad gestures and to channel her energy directly onto the canvas. This scale of work creates a visual contrast with her own physical presence, emphasizing the immersive nature of her process. Working on such a grand scale also has a performative element; it allows the audience to witness the creation process, turning the act of painting into a live art performance.
Ayako Rokkaku creating the current work in-situ at the Walkin’ Around Clouds exhibition, 2007. Image: © Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Jackson Pollock, Number 16, 1950, Private Collection. Artwork: © 2023 Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Painting through Intuition, Rokkaku is inspired by Abstract and Expressionist artists like Jackson Pollock, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Cy Twombly. She resonates with their expressive style and the way they convey emotions through abstract forms. Pioneering the Abstract Expressionist movement, Jackson Pollock conveys emotions and ideas through non-representational forms, as seen in Number 16 (1950) where the artist covers the canvas with unrecognized acrylic subjects in assorted colours. Pollock recognized that the major force in creating art is having an unconscious mind, where the process leads by spontaneity and improvisations – a process Rokkaku whole heartedly agrees with. Highly intuitive, Rokkaku refrains from being confined by rules of conventional painting, immersing herself fully during her painting process without an underlying plan. This allows her motifs to develop during the process, the act of painting becomes performative.
“I don’t feel I’m really painting unless my hands are in direct contact with the paint. It’s more fun that way.”
— Ayako Rokkaku
Detail of the present lot Wearing a pink dress that compliments the flora and fauna surrounding her, the current protagonist draws parallel to the leading character Chihiro Ogino in the Japanese animation movie Spirited Away (2001), in the scene where she was also passing through fields of blooming flowers. Both characters are seen in contexts where they are interacting with their surroundings in a way that suggests a connection to a larger, perhaps magical, environment. This thematic likeness creates a bridge between Rokkaku's art and the beloved animated character, evoking similar feelings of nostalgia, wonder, and the poignant journey of growing up.
Chihiro Ogino running through a field of flowers in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, 2001
Rokkaku utilises an aesthetic that directly references the Japanese anime style, which also features adorable characters with enormous, shining eyes. Her work blends divergent styles from varying corners of the art world, while remaining childlike, youthful, and innocent – a headspace in which the artist tries to return to: ‘When I’m painting, I try to get in touch with the way I felt as a child – to get back to my starting point, if you like. Everyone goes through a stage of being totally into drawing and painting when they are small. Children can get completely absorbed in their pictures. I think maybe my pictures help to remind people of how they felt back then.” I Rokkaku seeks to reconnect with her own childhood sensations through her art, believing that her work might evoke similar memories and feelings in others.
Collector’s Digest
-
Born 1982 in Chiba, Japan, Ayako Rokkaku began her artistic career in 2002, during her early twenties. Rokkaku quickly established herself on the international art scene after exhibiting at the 9th edition of the Geisai art fair in 2006 and was awarded the prestigious Akio Goto Prize, founded by Kaikai KiKi Studio which is led by art world giant, Takashi Murakami.
-
In 2018, Phillips Hong Kong was the first to bring Rokkaku to the eyes of the market with a selling exhibition, Sam Francis, Walasse Ting & Ayako Rokkaku: Perpetual Colours, selling out before the first day of the opening. Since then, demand for the artist has exploded internationally. Rokkaku’s works are included in the permanent collections of the Powerlong Art Museum, China; Sehwa Museum of Art, South Korea; the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan; and the Voorlinden Museum, Netherlands, amongst others.
-
Rokkaku’s recent exhibitions include solo presentation, Born in the Fluffy Journey with Konig Galerie, Berlin (2021) and her institutional show with the Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art, Magic Hand (2021). Rokkaku currently lives and works in multiple cities, travelling between Porto, Berlin, Tokyo, and Amsterdam. She is represented by Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam.
i Somese Naoto, ‘Rokkaku Ayako: An Artist with the World at Her Fingertips’, nippon.com, 3, October 2011, online
-
Provenance
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2007Exhibited
Amsterdam, Gallery Delaive, Walkin' Around Clouds, 3-27 February 2007
24
Untitled ARP1
signed and dated '2007 Rokkaku Ayako [in Japanese]' lower right
acrylic on canvas
300 x 190 cm. (118 1/8 x 74 3/4 in.)
Painted in 2007.
Estimate
HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000
€234,000-351,000
$256,000-385,000
Sold for HK$1,524,000
Angela Tian
Associate Specialist, Head of New Now Sale
20th Century & Contemporary Art, Hong Kong
+852 2318 2058
AngelaTian@phillips.com
New Now
Hong Kong Auction 29 March 2024
1
Guy Yanai
Rayol Without Me
Estimate HK$150,000 - 250,000
Sold for HK$304,800
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
2
Salvo
Agosto
Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000
Sold for HK$1,079,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
3
Gongkan
Through the Eyes
Estimate HK$160,000 - 260,000
Sold for HK$279,400
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
4
Kasing Lung
Mon
Estimate HK$280,000 - 380,000
Sold for HK$330,200
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
5
Atsushi Kaga
Lemons, Macarons and A Black Cat
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$508,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
6
Ulala Imai
Brothers
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$215,900
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
7
Ulala Imai
Butter Toast
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$215,900
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
8
Gao Ludi
P18
Estimate HK$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for HK$53,340
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
9No Reserve
Jing Zhiyong
Sea Breeze
Estimate HK$50,000 - 80,000 •
Sold for HK$107,950
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
10
Kitti Narod
Diversity in the Pool
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$254,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
11
Katherine Bradford
A Walk by the Water
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$165,100
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
12
Alex Israel
Wave
Estimate HK$300,000 - 400,000
Sold for HK$355,600
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
13
This lot is no longer available.
14
Jonathan Chapline
Palm Springs
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$355,600
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
15
Jonathan Chapline
Digital Artifact
Estimate HK$70,000 - 100,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
16
Eliot Greenwald
Jungle Egg 1
Estimate HK$120,000 - 220,000
Sold for HK$107,950
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
17
Jenna Gribbon
Turtle Pond
Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000
Sold for HK$508,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
18
KYNE
Untitled
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
19
Yang Hyun Jun
Adult Child (Bruce Lee)
Estimate HK$50,000 - 70,000
Sold for HK$177,800
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
20
Thierry Noir
The Dance of Colour
Estimate HK$120,000 - 180,000
Sold for HK$177,800
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
21
Roby Dwi Antono
Kira
Estimate HK$200,000 - 300,000
Sold for HK$444,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
22
Mr.
Untitled
Estimate HK$1,000,000 - 2,000,000
Sold for HK$1,206,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
23
Yoshitomo Nara
Untitled
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$1,905,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
24
Ayako Rokkaku
Untitled ARP1
Estimate HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000
Sold for HK$1,524,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
25
MADSAKI
Le Reve 2
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$571,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
26
Katherine Bernhardt
Green
Estimate HK$700,000 - 1,000,000
Sold for HK$736,600
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
27
This lot is no longer available.
28
Takashi Murakami
Untitled
Estimate HK$650,000 - 850,000
Sold for HK$635,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
29
Takashi Murakami
Untitled
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$762,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
30
This lot is no longer available.
31
This lot is no longer available.
32
Chiharu Shiota
State of Being (Keys)
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$571,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
33
Lin Tianmiao
Cotton Candy
Estimate HK$350,000 - 550,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
34
Ding Yi
Appearance of Crosses 2019-15
Estimate HK$700,000 - 1,000,000
Sold for HK$1,016,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
35
Zhao Zhao
Sky No. 6
Estimate HK$200,000 - 400,000
Sold for HK$406,400
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
36
Fan Zhen
Lucky Flower
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$215,900
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
37
Zhang Xiaogang
Bloodline Series No. 28
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$1,016,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
38
Yue Minjun
Warrior No. 10
Estimate HK$240,000 - 450,000
Sold for HK$533,400
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
39
Yoshitomo Nara
Untitled
Estimate HK$700,000 - 900,000
Sold for HK$1,651,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
40
Yoshitomo Nara
Girl
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$762,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
41
Mayuka Yamamoto
Little Owl Boy
Estimate HK$150,000 - 250,000
Sold for HK$406,400
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
42
Yoshitomo Nara
Kitman holding ski poles (sukii-tokku wo motsu Kittoman)
Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000
Sold for HK$635,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
43
En Iwamura
Thinker
Estimate HK$70,000 - 100,000
Sold for HK$88,900
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
44
Javier Calleja
So it Is
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$1,016,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
45
Scout Zabinski
Life Sung in Minor Key
Estimate HK$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for HK$99,060
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
46
Peter McDonald
Party Mingle
Estimate HK$50,000 - 70,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
47
Todd James
Neon Nighthawks
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
48
Nicasio Fernandez
Nailed It!
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
Sold for HK$95,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
49
Tom Sachs
Good Bye Brother
Estimate HK$200,000 - 300,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
50
Joyce Pensato
Silver Clown
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
51
Michael Kagan
Standing On The Moon
Estimate HK$150,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$165,100
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
52
Aboudia
Spectacle Watchers
Estimate HK$240,000 - 350,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
53
Ryan Schneider
What Burns Never Returns
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$152,400
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
54
Jordy Kerwick
Sans Cigarette
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$88,900
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
55
Buyankhishig Unurbayar
Mist
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$101,600
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
56
Thomas Houseago
Electric Night - Moonrise - Red Tide
Estimate HK$280,000 - 480,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
57
Jess Valice
The Fisherman
Estimate HK$180,000 - 280,000
Sold for HK$165,100
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
58
Oh de Laval
If I go to hell at least I will be with all my friends
Estimate HK$80,000 - 100,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
59
France-Lise McGurn
No Soul Led
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$101,600
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
60
Laure Mary-Couégnias
An Hour From Paris
Estimate HK$50,000 - 70,000
Sold for HK$33,020
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
61
Ma Sibo
Carrousel
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
Sold for HK$152,400
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
62
Josh Sperling
Wave #1
Estimate HK$120,000 - 180,000
Sold for HK$114,300
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
63
Ni Zhiqi
Brick Series
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
Sold for HK$124,460
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
64
Kwon Hyun-Jin
Visual Poetry Pixel Series #696
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$95,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
65
Kim Tschang-Yeul
Waterdrops
Estimate HK$100,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$120,650
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
66
Santiago Parra
Untitled
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$127,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
67
Antony Gormley
Breathing Room XXIX
Estimate HK$120,000 - 180,000
Sold for HK$127,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
68
Antony Gormley
Mindfield I
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$88,900
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
69
Joey Leung Ka Yin
Everyday Practice - Sleeping
Estimate HK$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for HK$50,800
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
70
Alan Chan
WHEN I WAS 17 - No. 21
Estimate HK$30,000 - 50,000
Sold for HK$38,100
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
71
José Parlá
Mono-Transfer Untitled
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
72
Robert Nava
Pink Dragon with Clown
Estimate HK$150,000 - 250,000
Sold for HK$215,900
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
73
Felix Treadwell
Snakeneck
Estimate HK$50,000 - 80,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
74
Arkiv Vilmansa
HERE COMES MY DAYS IN THE SUN
Estimate HK$90,000 - 130,000
Sold for HK$114,300
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
75
Mr.
We Can!
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$355,600
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
76
Kasing Lung
We Create Chaos 2
Estimate HK$50,000 - 70,000
Sold for HK$63,500
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
77
Michael Lau
BB - Gardener series
Estimate HK$55,000 - 85,000
Sold for HK$69,850
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
78
Michael Lau
TATTO - Gardener series
Estimate HK$55,000 - 85,000
Sold for HK$69,850
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
79
Aa Maan
Melody
Estimate HK$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for HK$50,800
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
80No Reserve
Matías Sánchez
Pintor con sombrero de copa
Estimate HK$50,000 - 80,000 •
Sold for HK$107,950
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
81
Oh de Laval
Untitled
Estimate HK$20,000 - 30,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.