Poly Hong Kong The 10th Anniversary Auction is about to take place, with highly anticipated auctions including Poly Hong Kong’s first evening auction of modern and contemporary art on July 12, and the modern and contemporary art day auction on July 13, bringing a total of over 150 art masterpieces. The total pre-sale estimate for this auction has set a new historical high in the past 10 years, with a total estimate of up to HK$300 million!
This auction brings many masterpieces of 20th-century modern art, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Wayne Thiebaud, Adrian Ghenie, Wu Guanzhong, Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh-Chun, Yayoi Kusama, Yoshitomo Nara, and other art giants. Let’s take a sneak peek at some of the exciting lots.
Poly Hong Kong’s first contemporary art evening auction presents over 30 lots, with the leading piece being “Untitled” created by legendary artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981. The work perfectly showcases Basquiat’s black face and iconic “three-pointed crown” symbol, marking the beginning of the artist’s establishment of his personal visual style, and also the first appearance in an auction for over 20 years.
估價:HKD 60,000,000 – 86,000,000
右：Adrian Ghenie《無眼簾》 2016 – 2018 年作 油彩 畫布 180.4 × 149.8 cm
估價:HKD 50,000,000 – 75,000,000
The evening auction’s other highlight is Wayne Thiebaud’s “Gift Cake” created between 2010 and 2011, which brings together every turning point and breakthrough in the artist’s career, transforming ordinary desserts into pairs of shapes, colors, lights, and perspectives. The work is seen as a masterpiece that encapsulates the artist’s lifelong painting achievements and stylistic evolution, making it a “culminating work” of his career.
Another highly anticipated highlight of the auction comes from Romanian artist Adrian Ghenie, with his work “The Eyeless Curtain” created between 2016 and 2018. This contemporary artist from the 70s inherits from great predecessors such as Van Gogh, Bacon, and Richter, transforming his paintings into his own unique language. Van Gogh is the most profound influence on young Ghenie, and this self-portrait created in the image of Van Gogh’s later years is a significant dialogue between Ghenie and art history.
The contemporary art evening auction also presents a Chinese 20th-century section, covering masterpieces by art giants such as Zao Wou-Ki, Wu Guanzhong, and Zhu Dequn, integrating Western and Chinese traditional aesthetics. The highlight includes Wu Guanzhong’s iconic work “Warm Spring in a Mountain Village” created in 1976, a delicate and rhythmic painting with abundant poetic energy, making it a masterpiece in Wu Guanzhong’s rural-themed paintings.
右：趙無極《23.6.66》 1966 年作 油彩 畫布 81 × 65 cm 估價:HKD 10,000,000 – 15,000,000
Zhu Dequn’s “Subtle Cumulus” created in 1991 has a grand scale, with a gray-blue background that seems to recreate the touch of a storm in the Swiss Alps. The artist not only creates infinite space with various light and dark colors, rendering, and brushstrokes, but also implies the natural and philosophical views of the vast universe and subtle life of the Chinese people.
Zao Wou-Ki’s “23.6.66” has a powerful and abstract brushstroke, perfectly presenting the artist’s inner self. The work not only possesses Zao Wou-Ki’s unique masculine demeanor and literati spirit, but also carries his deep affection for his loved ones and contemplation of life, showing a lyrical beauty that strikes the soul.
估價:HKD 16,500,000 – 25,000,000
右：奈良美智《星星》 2012 年作 壓克力 畫布 44 × 45 cm 估價:HKD 5,500,000 – 8,500,000
估價:HKD 1,800,000 – 2,800,000
右：村上隆《DOB 先生》 2019 年作 玻璃纖維 雕塑 130.3 × 81 × 157 cm
估價:HKD 5,000,000 – 7,000,000
The Asian contemporary section is led by popular art superstars such as Yayoi Kusama, Yoshitomo Nara, Takashi Murakami, and Mr. Doodle, presenting several marketable and visually distinctive masterpieces.
The above are just a selection of items from the entire auction. Interested viewers may want to personally view these eye-catching artworks during the exhibition preview period!
Preview and Auction: Poly Hong Kong 10th Anniversary Auction
Date: July 9 to 14, 2022
Location: Hall 1E, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai
Image source and learn more: Poly Auction Hong Kong
