The spring auction of Phillips Hong Kong has successfully concluded, with a total of HK$357 million achieved in the 20th Century & Contemporary Art and Design sales. The total sales exceeded pre-sale estimates and reached a 92% sell-through rate. The highlight of the auction was a drawing by contemporary art master George Cando.
This “Transparent Female Form” is from George Condo’s groundbreaking “Sketch Paintings” series. It breaks tradition by combining the processes of sketching and oil painting, while retaining the artist’s “psychological Cubism” technique of blending concrete and abstract elements.
The sensual female figures in the work are subtly depicted: their cheeks adorned with elegant pearls, full lips portrayed with smooth lines and light and shadow. However, influenced by the artist’s classic style, bizarre characters with strange faces, wild eyes, and fragmented profiles vaguely fill the background, exploring human instincts of desire, disgust, and curiosity.
The artist’s seemingly absurd portrait works are his extreme interpretation of human nature and emotions, created during the mature stage of his career at Condo Art, making them highly sought after by collectors. It’s no wonder he dominated this season’s Phillips Hong Kong Spring Auction with a successful bid of HK$36.5 million!
Image source: Phillips Hong Kong
