Founded in 2012, Poly Auction Hong Kong has swiftly established itself as a formidable international auction house that has frequently set records for artworks, artists, and categories. Setting the auction house apart is its continuous efforts to not only host and present stellar sales, but also towards promoting art, culture, and technology to the highest level beyond the auction block. With both live and online sales, as well as the premier of their first white-glove evening sale in July of last year—which realized over HKD 410 million—Poly Auction Hong Kong is the auction house to watch.
As part of the auction house’s spring 2023 program, the Modern and Contemporary Art sale will be held on April 6 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong at 11:00 HKT. Featuring a diverse array of national and international artists, the sale will see brought together iconic works by world-famous artists. Below, you can see some of the most anticipated and sought after lots from the sale.
Yoshitomo Nara
Acid M. J. (2009)
Estimate: HKD 34,000,000–44,000,000
Yoshitomo Nara, Acid M. J. (2009). Courtesy of Poly Auction Hong Kong.
Yoshitomo Nara (b. 1959) is world renown for his whimsical yet uncanny depictions of animals and children. A true highlight of the auction roster, Nara’s Acid M. J. (2009) illustrates the artist’s love of music and acts as an interpretive portrait and homage to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The work is rare in that Nara has very seldom completed portraits of musicians and named them in the title offering a rare glimpse into the artist’s inspirations and imagination.
Yoshitomo Nara
Cup Kids (1995)
Estimate: HKD 5,000,000–8,000,000
Yoshitomo Nara, Cup Kids (1995). Courtesy of Poly Auction Hong Kong.
Yet another rare offering by Nara in the sale, this work is from the groundbreaking 1995 series “Cup Kids”, comprised of seven works made from fiber-reinforced plastic. Emblematic of Nara’s signature style, the subtlety of the figure’s expression and overall composition invites the viewer to reflect on the symbolic and thematic underpinnings of the piece—both as an individual work and as part of a greater series. The cup and saucer motif also speaks to greater overarching cultural themes, emulating amusement park rides or a record turntable, the work taps into ideas of freedom or captivity depending on the interpretation.
Gerhard Richter
Abstraktes Bild (607-2) (1986)
Estimate: HKD 18,000,000–28,000,000
Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild (607-2) (1986). Courtesy of Poly Auction Hong Kong.
Recognized as one of the most influential artists today, Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) is known for his experimental abstract painting practice that was early in his career frequently photo based. As Richter’s practice progressed, he moved away from representation into abstraction, adopting the “squeegee method,” wiping and scraping pigment across the canvas; the work presented here is arguably from the height of Richter’s early total abstractions and move toward a vibrant, multicolor rather than more subdued palette.
Yayoi Kusama
Infinity Nets (1999)
Estimate: HKD 2,100,000–3,100,000
Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Nets (1999). Courtesy of Poly Auction Hong Kong.
Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) has garnered worldwide recognition and fame, with a career that continues to gain momentum even after more than six decades. Kusama’s work is most widely known for her repeating dot patterns and self-termed “infinity nets,” which she has been employing since the earliest years of career. Composed of looping and weaving impastoed paint, this iteration of an infinity net contains a distinct tactility and dimension that is exemplary of the artist’s ongoing engagement with the series as well as preoccupation with boundlessness.
Yayoi Kusama
Pumpkin (2005)
Estimate: HKD 25,000,000–35,000,000
Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin (2005). Courtesy of Poly Auction Hong Kong.
Similar to the aforementioned dot patterns, Kusama’s body of work is also largely recognized for motifs that she returns to time and again, foremost among them being that of a pumpkin. Kusama’s pumpkins are comprised of or covered in variably sized, meticulously organized dot patterns, and are some of the most sought after works in her oeuvre. The present Pumpkin from 2009 contains all of the artist’s beloved hallmark attributes, offering an incredible opportunity for collectors that follow her work.
Poly Auction Hong Kong will be holding their Modern and Contemporary Art sale April 6, 2023.