Auction Houses Look to Young Artists for Hong Kong Sales

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Christie’s today announced that their autumn art sales fetched U.S. $864 million in New York last week. Just yesterday, they revealed the consignments for their upcoming Hong Kong sales.

The works are spread across four auctions from 28 to 29 November with a notable skew towards the contemporary. There’s the 20th/21stCentury Art Evening Sale, the Post-Millennium Evening Sale, the 20th Century Art Day Sale, and the 21st Century Art Day Sale.

Evelyn Lin, Deputy Chairman of Christie’s Asia Pacific, said the lineup was ‘assembled to appeal to the market demand for established masters and fast-rising talents.’

Works by ‘masters’ here include Yayoi Kusama’s A Flower (2014) for an estimated $8.4–11 million, Sanyu’s Nude on Tapestry (1929) for U.S. $13–19 million, and Yoshitomo Nara’s Bad Barber (2000) for $7.1–11 million.

The youngest of the fast-rising talents appear in the Post Millennium Evening Sale and include artists with established track records at auction such as Lucy Bull (b. 1990), whose Snail Effects (2020) carries an estimate of $360,000–490,000, and Avery Singer (b. 1987), whose Untitled (2017) monochrome painting has an estimate of $1.5–2.3 million.

Phillips is presenting less well known artists at significantly lower price points in its New Now & Design Auction on 26 November.

Works include Gao Hang‘s (b.1991) wild acrylic on canvas Just Freaking Dunked on My Girlfriend (2020) for $7,700–10,300, Yuan Fang’s (b.1996) Cy Twombly-esque loops (pictured top), and First Time Ever (2007) by an absolute dinosaur by comparison—Japanese anime-inspired painter Mr. (b. 1969).

Phillips has held ultra-contemporary New Now sales in London and New York, but this is their first in Hong Kong.

Angela Tian, Head of New Now & Design Sale, Phillips Hong Kong, said, New Now was ‘one of the most successful’ auction series held at Phillips.

‘Historically, collectors have looked to the “New Now” sales as a guidepost for emerging names that are on the cusp of widespread international acclaim,’ she said. —[O]

Main image: Yuan Fang, Untitled (2022). Acrylic on canvas, 59.8 x 91 cm. Courtesy Phillips.