Phillips Presents Highlights from the Inaugural Editions, Photographs and Design Auction in Hong Kong

Phillips Presents Highlights from the Inaugural Editions, Photographs and Design Auction in Hong Kong 

Live sale on 14 June to Feature Works by Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama and Yoshitomo Nara Among Other Blue-Chip Artists

Marking the First Time that the Celebrated Photographer Steven Klein’s Unique Polaroids Are Being Showcased in Asia

Also Featuring an Impressive Selection of Japanese, English, Italian and Scandinavian Design

HONG KONG – 30 May 2024 – Phillips is pleased to introduce a new cross-category auction, Editions, Photographs, and Design, which will take place live in Hong Kong on 14 June. The inaugural sale will feature over 100 lots, ranging from an extensive selection of Editions by sought-after artists alongside emerging names; stand-out works by some of the world’s most celebrated visual artists and photographers, including the Asia auction debut of Steven Klein’s unique Polaroid works; and a diverse array of Design works spanning the 20th and 21st Centuries, including works from notable makers such as Thomas Heatherwick, Sofu Teshigahara, Studio Drift, among others.  Ahead of the auction, the sale will be on view at Phillips’ Asia headquarters in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District from 5 to14 June.

Nick Wilson, Head of Editions, Photographs and Design, Phillips Asia, said, “Phillips has a strong track record of selling these categories in our global auctions, we are excited to present them together in a dedicated sale, allowing us to not only meet buyer demand for broader collecting opportunities but also to formally offer sales across the full spectrum of Phillips' categories in Asia for the first time. As a good place to start for collecting fine art, Editions (prints and multiples) are typically more affordable than unique paintings and sculpture, but usually require highly complicated techniques with a master printer to create an edition. Photographs is also one of the more accessible types of work to add to an art collection. The most appealing attraction behind photography collecting is that it’s an approachable medium that people can immediately relate to whether it be a landscape, cityscape, portrait，or any other theme they gravitate to. Iconic Photographs and Editions by some of the world’s most sought-after artists continue to increase in popularity around the world. Our Design category has been very well received by collectors in Asia, in which the Design session featured in the 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale in Hong Kong from 2016 to 2022 always achieved a high sell through rate. We are delighted to present such a strong selection of works by a wide range of creators in the inaugural sale this summer and look forward to welcoming everyone through our galleries when the exhibition opens to the public on 5 June.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM EDITIONS

Leading the Editions section is Keith Haring’s Dog (L. pp. 48-49) from 1986-87, featuring his celebrated barking dog motif which originated in the artist’s New York subway drawings of the early 1980s. Another standout highlight by Pop Art pioneers is Andy Warhol’s iconic Shoes (F. & S. II.257), from 1980 with diamond dust, which epitomizes his fascination with glamour and celebrity. Also on offer is Damien Hirst’s complete set of The Virtues (H9), which is inspired by Bushidō, the Japanese samurai code of ethics.

Further sale highlights include Yoshitomo Nara’s Walk On (M. & S. E-2010-012), a Ukiyo-e woodcut which depicts Nara’s iconic little girl with almond shaped eyes and a menacing smile set in a hard straight line. Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin (White Y) (K. 150) brings together three of Kusama’s most recognisable motifs: a pumpkin, dots, and infinity nets. Additional works on offer include Jonas Wood’s Fish Pot; Matisse Pot 4; and Snoopy Pot. Wood’s incorporation of ceramic vessels into his body of work stems from his collaborative working relationship with his wife, the ceramic artist Shio Kusaka.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS

Phillips is pleased to present ULTIMATE STEVEN KLEIN for the Photographs section. Steven Klein is one of the most innovative and provocative artists in photography and film. A highly sought-after figure, he has landed coveted covers of magazines such as Vogue and W with his riveting body of work being featured globally and has shot high-profile advertising campaigns for the likes of Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford and Dior. This exclusive curation of 18 unique Polaroids from the celebrated photographer’s archive was personally chosen by Steven Klein and marks the first time his works are being offered in Asia. Showcasing Klein’s distinctive approach to photography as a means of storytelling, this exceptional grouping offers a window into the intimate relationship between photographer and subject. Taken between 1999 and 2015, the Polaroids feature striking portraits of icons in fashion, music, and film, including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Britney Spears, David Bowie, Madonna, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer, among others.

Other notable highlights include Francis Giacobetti’s 1988 Zebra #17, which demonstrates the artist’s unorthodox approach to technique, light and shadow and expresses the full beauty of the human body. Moreover, a print from Tim Parchikov’s Burning News, shows a person clutching a burning newspaper in the snow, which explores how humans react when the flow of information reaches a critical point.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DESIGN

The Design section will showcase a diverse range of works spanning the 20th and 21st Centuries, led by Sofu Teshigahara’s Six-panel folding screen. With forms and lines inspired by the dynamism of nature, the present work immediately strikes for its calligraphic, gestural and sculptural brushstrokes, reminiscent of traditional Chinese landscape as well as calligraphy. Further highlights include a seating structure made from a single piece of aluminium titled “Extrusion” bench by the multi-award-winning British architect Thomas Heatherwick, who designed Hong Kong’s Pacific Place; Studio Drift’s 'Fragile Future 3.12' explores the unexpected connection between nature and technology, and Alvar Aalto’s Early “Paimio” armchair, model no 41, whose work brought a refreshing breath of humanism to modern design.

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Editions, Photographs and Design Hong Kong Auction

Auction: 14 June 2024, 2pm HKT

Public Exhibition: 5 - 14 June, 11am – 7pm HKT

Location: G/F, WKCDA Tower, West Kowloon Cultural District, No. 8 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Please download images of highlights here.