Taiwanese pop king Jay Chou has always been an art collector, and it was recently rumored that he will collaborate with Sotheby’s for a groundbreaking collaboration in June, which has everyone eagerly anticipating. The inaugural “Contemporary Curated: Asia” auction curated by Jay is finally set to take place on the 18th of next month, with evening and daytime online sessions from the 10th to the 22nd. Selected items to be featured in the evening auction will also be on public display at K11 Atelier and K11 Musea for a closer look.
In this collaboration with Sotheby’s, Jay expressed his hope to allow everyone to appreciate art in a more diverse way and discover all that art brings to life. From the series of art masterpieces he selected and curated for this auction, one can glimpse his forward-thinking artistic vision and taste.
The highlight of the upcoming evening auction includes “Untitled” by American contemporary artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, also known as “The Black Picasso.” This large-scale painting was created in 1985, marking a peak moment in Basquiat’s career as an internationally renowned artist. The artwork graced the cover of The New York Times magazine that same year, featuring Basquiat sitting in front of the painting being auctioned, with a chair from his studio also captured in the photograph, which will be displayed alongside the painting at the auction preview.
“The Untitled” is a triptych composed of wooden panels, juxtaposing three elements including Jean-Michel Basquiat’s iconic Black warrior, the American jaguar embodying bravery in Aztec legend, and a character resembling the knight Don Quixote. Through this, the original fierceness of African and Central American visual cultures is starkly contrasted with the exaggerated spirit and tradition of European knights. The artwork blends figurative and abstract techniques, retaining the improvisational feel of graffiti art with a powerful and explosive expression.
Pablo Picasso’s oil painting “Man Half-Length Portrait,” painted in 1969, will also be featured in this evening’s auction. The work encompasses key themes of Picasso’s later works, a powerful portrait, and a tribute to Van Gogh after Picasso studied Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with Straw Hat” from 1887. Picasso even added another “gunman” self-image in the painting, identified by the playful half-beard on the character’s face.
Zhao Wuji’s oil painting “14.05.63” is a classic representative work of his “Mad Grass Period” in the 1960s. The painting presents the changes of heaven and earth and the tremors of life in the form of landscape, with intertwining lines dancing, creating a majestic momentum of winding mountain peaks. The work combines traditional Eastern landscape with modern abstract aesthetics, focusing on spatial expression, releasing the spiritual realm of roaming in the universe and nature.
Master of Pop Art Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup I (A Set of Ten)”, Japanese contemporary artist Yoshitomo Nara’s “Homesick”, and the famous British graffiti master Banksy’s “Laugh Now But One Day We’ll Be in Charge” will all be featured in both daytime and evening auctions, and are all must-see pieces.
In addition to a series of contemporary art pieces, this auction will also feature three sets of performance costumes worn by Jay Chou during his personal seventh world tour concert “The Invincible”. The proceeds from this part of the auction will be donated to charity.
Live Auction (Evening Auction):
Date: June 18
Location: Sotheby’s Art Space, 5th Floor, Phase 1, Pacific Place, Admiralty
Online Special (Daytime Auction):
Date: June 10 to 22
Website: www.sothebys.com/jaychou
Public Exhibition:
Date: June 12 to 18
Location: K11 ATELIER and K11 MUSEA
圖片來源：Sotheby’s, instagram@jaychou
