Contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s early works will be auctioned at Bonhams in New York on May 21, including 8 works on paper and 3 oil paintings, with a total estimated value of $14 million. Six of the pieces are currently on display in Hong Kong as part of the “Yayoi Kusama: The Late Dr. Teruo Hirose Collection” exhibition. Don’t miss out on this exhibition if you’re an art enthusiast!
The series of works on display were created by Yayoi Kusama from 1952 to 1965, collected by the late Dr. Teruo Hirose, who was Kusama’s friend and personal doctor. He had been working in New York since 1959. At that time, Kusama, who had left her hometown to explore New York and was under immense physical and mental stress, met Hirose due to illness. She gifted him some of the works she brought from Japan to the United States as payment for her medical expenses. The two of them then embarked on a friendship that lasted for several decades.
These works, first unveiled in Hong Kong, offer a glimpse into Yayoi Kusama’s early artistic style and some of the classic elements that frequently appear in her later works. For example, the ubiquitous “polka dot” pattern can be found in the exhibited pieces “Mississippi River” and “Hudson River.” It is worth mentioning that the rivers depicted in these two paintings come from Yayoi Kusama’s childhood memories. She uses a soil-like reddish tone in the works, a color scheme not commonly seen in her later works, and the style also evokes her iconic infinite nets.
Apart from floral and polka dot pumpkins, the “Infinity Rooms” series is also a signature work of Yayoi Kusama, often appearing in various exhibitions around the world. Another untitled work at this Hong Kong preview combines bold colors with immersive visual effects, with continuous, endless expanding dots that make viewers feel as if they are immersed in it, where it is not difficult to see the shadow of the later work “Infinity Rooms”.
For those who love the “Polka Dot Queen”, why not take this opportunity to appreciate Yayoi Kusama’s early works up close at this Hong Kong preview exhibition? Starting from her creative origins, you can understand her different brush styles and changes over the years, and step into her artistic world!
“Yayoi Kusama: The Late Dr. Hiroshi Hirose’s Rare Collection” Special Auction Hong Kong Preview
Date: From now until April 22
Location: Bonhams Auction Center, 20th Floor, One Pacific Place, Hong Kong
(Photos: Bonhams, IG@yayoikusama_, IG@bonhams1793)
