Yukimasa Ida - 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale in Association with Poly Auction Hong Kong Sunday, November 28, 2021 | Phillips

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  • “In this ever-changing world, things and individuals are scattered, yet remain unknowingly connected, shaping the world as it exists today. People exist in the past and present, the here and now, each forging their own stories. My practice gathers miraculous encounters of humans, my intention being to crystallise them on the canvas based on realities I capture.” — Yukimasa Ida

    Born in Japan in 1990, Yukimasa Ida’s hauntingly beautiful works strike a fine balance between realism and abstraction, infused with a deep sense of nostalgia and appreciation for the fleeting nature of human existence. Of recent years, Ida’s work has explored the concept of ‘ichi-go ich-e’, a Japanese idiom translating to ‘a once-in-a-lifetime moment’, stemming from his encounters in the slums of India which drew him toward the dual beauty and cruelty of time.

     

    In his vibrant patchwork palette, Ida’s paintings capture and memorialise fleeting moments within time. Dashes of reds, whites, browns, and greens, coalesce to form figures and interiors in a dense impasto, just as the human mind pieces together disparate memories and sensations, creating order and coherency - a narrative - from the unrelenting chaos of existence. Ida’s fascination with the ephemerality of life translates into a euphoric love for his own works and their potential for lasting impact beyond his lifetime, such that the process of creating itself also becomes a once-in-a-lifetime meeting.

     

    Ida’s series of small portraits hone in on the personal nature of his process, described as being like picture-diaries taken directly from his experiences. In A Head, various intensities of stroke communicate a specific range of emotion, resulting in a distorted image reflecting the construed inconsistency of memory. Jagged edges suggest a certain pain associated with the knowledge of irredeemable time. The dynamism of rhythm in this portrait simultaneously draws the viewer in while demanding an interrogation of their own understanding of human subjectivity, ultimately also highlighting the ability of paint as a medium to embody the true rawness and spontaneity of emotion.

     

     

    The artist in his studio

     

    In 2018 the artist was listed in Forbes’ “30 under 30 Japan”. His works are in the personal collections of Yusaku Maezawa, Takashi Murakami and Jay Chou, with numerous solo exhibitions including Rhapsody at Fabien Fryns Fine Art, London (2019); King of Limbs at KaiKai KiKi Gallery, Tokyo (2020), with his most recent being Here and Now at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago (2021).

     

     

    The artist's process in action

    • Provenance

      Fabien Fryns Fine Art, London
      Acquired from the above by the present owner

    • Exhibited

      London, Fabien Fryns Fine Art, Yukimasa Ida: Rhapsody, 30 September – 7 October 2019

ULTRA/NEO

158

A Head

signed, titled and dated '"A head" 2019 Y Ida' on the reverse
oil on canvas
45.5 x 45.5 cm. (17 7/8 x 17 7/8 in.)
Painted in 2019.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
HK$240,000 - 420,000 
€30,600-53,600
$30,800-53,800

Sold for HK$756,000

Contact Specialist

Danielle So
Specialist, Head of Day Sale
+852 2318 2027
danielleso@phillips.com

20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale in Association with Poly Auction

Hong Kong Auction 29 November 2021