Catalogue Essay
“If I am asked when I started to paint or indeed why, well that’s something I can’t define so easily. I can say how and where, using pencils and crayons on every wall within reach, outside the house in Majadahonda, on the nursery walls and the pavements.” —— Edgar Plans

With a strong passion in street and urban art, Spanish contemporary artist Edgar Plans creates vivid compositions adorned with doodles of his signature "Animal Heroes" characters. Inspired by the spontaneity and energy of children's drawings, these works recall the stylistic features of works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Cy Twombly, as exemplified by the doodles of skulls, bones and crowns found in the present work. Plans has listed graffiti, street art, comic books, illustrations, and animated films as major influences on his oeuvre: “I’ve always liked street art. Urban art. It is an art that I see very free, just like when children create. And I have wanted to transform it to translate into my paintings” ⁱ.

The current work on paper, Hero or Villain, depicts the artist's signature character along with references to other popular heroes in comic culture, such as X-men, Superman, Bruce Wayne (Batman) and the Joker. Plans often names his solo exhibitions "Art Notes", as most of his works on paper, such as Hero or Villain, represent large format notebook sheets, where the artist invites the viewer to take a walk with him through his thoughts. The enlarged format elevates the content from simply being notes on paper, and envelops the viewer in his imaginary world.

Despite their innocence and childlike appearance, Plans' masked heroes were created with a more serious and noble intention of criticising current social and environmental issues:

“The Animal Heroes arise from my intention to create pictures of denunciation in favour of the environment, to denounce the human actions that contaminate, destroy and poke the planet. In turn these heroes have simple powers that today’s society is losing as they are solidarity, companionship, respect… and these animals through art and their actions want to reintroduce people.” —— Edgar Plans

Phrases found in the current work such as "Hero or Villain" (which is also the works title) and “Awaken the Hero you have inside!”, call out to the viewer urging them to stand up against the wrongdoing of others.

Garnering increasing international popularity in recent years, Plans has held solo exhibitions at Almine Rech, Paris (2021) and Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona (2019), along with exhibition pop-ups in Hong Kong at the K11 Musea (2021) and WAREHOUSE Gallery (2020). His works are also in public collections such as the Caixa Foundation, Masaveu Foundation, Illuro Foundation, the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias, Spain, and the Contemporary Art Museum La Habana, Cuba. Edgar Plans is represented by Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona and Padre Gallery, New York & Moscow.

ⁱ Edgar Plans as quoted on his artist page, Almine Rech Gallery, online
- Provenance
  Miquel Alzueta Art Gallery, Barcelona
  Acquired from the above by the present owner

4

Edgar Plans

Hero or Villain

signed 'Plans' lower right; titled ' "HERO OR VILLAIN" ' upper right
mixed media and canvas collage on paper
sheet 162 x 142 cm. (63 3/4 x 55 7/8 in.)
frame 176 x 156 cm. (69 1/4 x 61 3/8 in.)
Executed in 2018, this work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Miquel Alzueta Art Gallery.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
HK$200,000 - 300,000
€21,900-32,800
$25,600-38,500

Sold for HK$1,071,000

Contact Specialist

Hin Hin Wong
Associate Specialist, 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Hong Kong
+852 2318 2013
hinhinwong@phillips.com

24/7: Online Auction

Online Auction 21 - 30 July 2021

1
Yukimasa Ida
End of today - 12/12 2018 Self Portrait -
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$693,000
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2
Joan Cornellà
Untitled #1
Estimate HK$200,000 - 400,000
Sold for HK$1,008,000
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3
Matías Sánchez
Parodia
Estimate HK$70,000 - 90,000
Sold for HK$201,600
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4
Edgar Plans
Hero or Villain
Estimate HK$200,000 - 300,000
Sold for HK$1,071,000
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5
Maria Farrar
Brioche con Gelato
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$327,600
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6
This lot is no longer available.
7
Okokume
Cosmic Girl Head
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$403,200
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8
Todd James
Chicken Fingers
Estimate HK$80,000 - 100,000
Sold for HK$138,600
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9
Mr.
Happy
Estimate HK$320,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$403,200
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10
Chen Yingjie
Gravity LXX
Estimate HK$75,000 - 110,000
Sold for HK$163,800
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11
Yue Minjun
Untitled (Smile-ism No. 1-28)
Estimate HK$400,000 - 650,000
Sold for HK$567,000
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12
Liu Wei
Landscape No. 2
Estimate HK$600,000 - 800,000
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13
Javier Calleja
Prefacio
Estimate HK$300,000 - 400,000
Sold for HK$604,800
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14
Javier Calleja
Indice
Estimate HK$300,000 - 400,000
Sold for HK$441,000
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15
Javier Calleja
Hi
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$693,000
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16
Jonas Wood
Dad's Study 2
Estimate HK$280,000 - 350,000
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17
KAWS
SEEING
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
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18
Takashi Murakami & Virgil Abloh
Flower Belt
Estimate HK$350,000 - 450,000
Sold for HK$1,008,000
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19
Banksy
CND Soldiers
Estimate HK$150,000 - 250,000
Sold for HK$378,000
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20
Kenny Scharf
Krazy
Estimate HK$200,000 - 400,000
Sold for HK$693,000
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21
Invader
TK-64
Estimate HK$220,000 - 320,000
Sold for HK$819,000
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22
This lot is no longer available.
23
KAWS
PIRANHAS WHEN YOU'RE SLEEPING
Estimate HK$180,000 - 280,000
Sold for HK$277,200
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24
MADSAKI
Homage to Takashi Murakami Flowers
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$630,000
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25
Mr Doodle
Schoolyard Scrap
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$302,400
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26
Chiharu Shiota
State of Being (Children's Shoes)
Estimate HK$200,000 - 300,000
Sold for HK$504,000
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27
Kohei Nawa
PixCell-Maria #16
Estimate HK$380,000 - 550,000
Sold for HK$504,000
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28
Damien Hirst
Mickey (Blue Glitter)
Estimate HK$250,000 - 450,000
Sold for HK$315,000
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29
KAWS
ANKLE BRACELET
Estimate HK$150,000 - 250,000
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30
Ayako Rokkaku
Hayaumare March
Estimate HK$70,000 - 90,000
Sold for HK$163,800
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31
Xu Qu
Currency War - Morocco 20 (Old)
Estimate HK$70,000 - 90,000
Sold for HK$138,600
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32
Zhao Zhao
Sky No. 13
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$214,200
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33
Ayako Rokkaku
"Magic Hand" Exhibition Carpet
Estimate HK$70,000 - 90,000
Sold for HK$176,400
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34
Gerhard Richter
Cage (P19-2)
Estimate HK$80,000 - 100,000
Sold for HK$176,400
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35
Gerhard Richter
Cage (P19-5)
Estimate HK$80,000 - 100,000
Sold for HK$176,400
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36
Yoshitomo Nara
Mori Girl
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
Sold for HK$378,000
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24/7: Online Auction

Online Auction 21 - 30 July 2021

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Catalogue Essay

Provenance

4

Edgar Plans

Hero or Villain

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