Renoir, Emin, Kusama Works Headline Phillips’ Hong Kong Sales
Yayoi Kusama, Sunset Afterglow Inside My Heart (2020). Courtesy Phillips.
Phillips Hong Kong will bring some of the world’s biggest artists to its two modern and contemporary evening sales on 29 March, coinciding with both Hong Kong Art Week and Art Basel Hong Kong.
A highlight of the evening sale will be Yayoi Kusama’s acrylic-on-canvas work, Sunset Afterglow Inside My Heart (2020). Painted during the Covid-19 pandemic while Kusama was restricted to her studio, the canvas is an archetypal representation of the artist’s distinct, minimal “net” style executed in red and white.
Originally acquired from Kusama’s longstanding gallery Ota Fine Arts, it is the first time this work has come to auction, with an estimate of $641,000–897,000 (all figures USD).
Another stand-out piece is a small-scale oil painting by leading French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Paysage aux oliviers (around 1901) depicts a countryside landscape with olive trees, and has an estimat of $256,000–385,000. It was acquired in 1953 by the late South African industrialist Harry Oppenheimer for his collection of Impressionist art.
In a joint statement, Phillips’ Hong Kong representatives Danielle So and Rebecca Hu described the sale as being “anchored by exceptional provenance” and a “unique opportunity to acquire works that embody cultural dialogue, market significance, and the enduring power of artistic legacy”.
Highlights from the contemporary sale include Swiss painter Nicolas Party, whose 2016 pastel-on-linen work Two Portraits features two wide-eyed figures against a sunny yellow background. It is estimated at $321,000–449,000.
I See the Mirror (2022), a large-scale canvas by British artist Tracey Emin, whose biggest-ever retrospective A Second Life is currently on view at Tate Modern in London, is estimated at $449,000–577,000. The painting was included in the artist’s solo show at Galleria Lorcan O’Neill in Rome in 2023.
Further works by international artists, including Zao Wou-Ki, Liu Dan, Chen Yifei, and Takashi Murakami, Adam Pendleton, Robin F Williams, Joseph Yaeger, and Mehdi Ghadyanloo. will also go under the hammer.
A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.
Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.
Learn more about Ocula Magazine
Showcasing the best of the art world.
Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.
Learn more about Ocula Membership
Specialises in the sale of major artworks.
Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.
Learn more about our team and services