Modern & Contemporary Art Hong Kong Auctions Preview
In the grand theater of art, the “Figure” has long commanded the veneration of artists, encapsulating the quintessence of beauty and emotion — and the inexorable passage of time.
Phillips’ Hong Kong Modern & Contemporary Art Spring Sales 2024 unveil an exquisite assemblage of works. The nuanced subtleties of figurative works is on full display, as well as the audacious bravura of contemporary abstraction. These are masterpieces transcending mere depiction that invite us into a realm where figures and symbols ascend to iconic status and become vessels of artistic splendor and profound narrative.
KAWS, PAY THE DEBT TO NATURE, 2010.
Estimate: HK$ 7,500,000 – 12,000,000 / US$ 962,000 – 1,540,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, 31 May.
In PAY THE DEBT TO NATURE, KAWS masterfully intertwines the essence of classical memento mori with contemporary abstraction and pop culture iconography. This striking piece, which headlined his 2010 exhibition at Galerie Perrotin in Paris, takes its ominous title from a quote in Thomas Pynchon's Gravity’s Rainbow — “Death is a debt to nature due, which I have paid, and so must you.”
KAWS here pays homage to 20th-century sculptor H. C. Westermann — whom he discovered in 2001 — along with four other artists who revealed a braver, wilder, and less categorizable side of art history. Inspired by an evocative 1974 drawing of Westermann’s, KAWS incorporates a similarly unsettling silhouette, transforming it with his characteristic blend of cartoonish forms and stark abstraction. The large-gloved and shoed mascot in this piece echoes both Mickey Mouse and KAWS’s own signature COMPANION figure, presenting a juxtaposition of innocence and menace.
Calling to mind an enormous range of creative influences, KAWS’s work is not bound to a set story or a single line of art history — not even his own — and continues to surprise. PAY THE DEBT TO NATURE exemplifies the artist’s adventurous spirit, with amorphous shapes and jagged forms coexisting with monochromatic cutouts to create a scene where nature reclaims its rights in a surreal, almost dystopian manner.
André Butzer, Untitled, 2020.
Estimate: HK$ 700,000 – 900,000 / US$ 89,700 – 115,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, 31 May.
In Untitled (2020), André Butzer assembles a quartet of his most potently symbolic characters in a composition that is at once whimsical and unsettling. In the center are two childlike, smiling figures evocative of his iconic golden woman. That character for him embodies the vital force to overcome the dichotomies of good and evil, creation and destruction, life and death. On the left is a candy-colored figure with an alien-like head, one of Butzer's “Friedens-Siemens-children,” as he calls them, who symbolize a bridge between historical extremes and the quest for peace. Contrasting sharply with these benign figures is the 'Shame-Man' or 'Wanderer,' whose jagged features and blank eyes hint at a deeper history of loneliness and existential dread.
Butzer's rich personal mythology draws heavily from his conflicted relationship with the modern world, influenced by his upbringing in the industrial hub of Stuttgart and his subsequent experiences in California. His stylistic evolution reflects a journey through the visceral figurations of Edvard Munch and Asger Jorn, towards a more narrative-driven, yet abstract, approach. This transformation is encapsulated in his “Science-Fiction Expressionism,” where recurring characters gain cultural weight through shifting contexts and story influences.
In Untitled, Butzer's characters inhabit the imagined space colony of NASAHEIM — a name blending NASA, Disneyland's Anaheim, and the German word for home. It is a paradoxical landscape where utopian dreams and banal realities collide. Injecting a haunting presence into this otherwise vibrant scene is The Wanderer, inspired by Munch’s The Scream, Melvins' 90s rock insignia, and Hölderlin’s Romantic novel Hyperion. His unsettling silhouette, rooted in past traumas and existential dislocation, underscores the tension between Butzer's bright, playful style and the darker undertones of his narrative.
Jonas Wood, Wimbledon 1, 2011.
Estimate: HK$ 2,000,000 – 4,000,000 / US$ 256,000 – 513,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, 31 May.
Jonas Wood executed Wimbledon 1 in 2011. At first glance, one sees a tennis player in sports attire, centrally positioned within an interior and surrounded by three Slazenger tennis balls. Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes apparent that this figure is actually a painting within a painting — which creates a layered and complex narrative space. The unique blend of figuration and abstraction evokes the surreal interiors of his influences — Henri Matisse, Alex Katz for his bold flattening, and the David Hockney for his vivid domesticity.
Wimbledon 1 reflects Wood’s ongoing fascination with sports imagery, particularly tennis, which he captures with both affection and critical distance. His earlier works in the tennis court series, inspired by turning off the lights and photographing tennis matches on his TV, reflect a deep engagement with the subject. In this piece, his depiction of the official Wimbledon tennis balls and the meticulous detailing transform a familiar sports scene into an enigmatic, almost surreal vignette.
Xia Yu, It's Learning Time, 2020.
Estimate: HK$ 500,000 – 700,000 / US$ 64,100 – 89,700.
Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, 31 May.
It’s Learning Time by Chinese artist Xia Yu depicts a serene yet enigmatic scene of two individuals in a softly lit room. Using tempera, Xia captures intricate details and vibrant colors, transforming an ordinary moment into a profound meditation on domestic life. The textured room, fibrous curtain, and soft garments emphasize the sanctity of the space as a site of introspection and intellectual engagement.
Xia Yu, born in Anhui, China in 1981, is renowned for his exploration of contemporary urban life through figurative art and portraiture. His works often delve into the psychological states and relationships of individuals, drawing comparisons to the intimate, everyday scenes of artists like Edward Hopper.
In It's Learning Time, Xia Yu creates dramatic tension by placing figures face to face — a technique reminiscent of Renaissance portraiture that emphasizes psychological depth and interaction. Here, the figures hover between action and dreaming, reflecting Xia’s philosophy of exploring the fluid identities of individuals. The woman's active gaze is a departure from conventional passive depictions of women in art. This challenges the power dynamics. An intimate portrayal, it invites viewers to reconsider their perceptions and the nature of the gaze in art — to offer a contemporary reflection on timeless themes.
Christina Quarles, Yew Don' Wanna Pick From My Apple Tree, 2021.
Estimate: HK$ 3,500,000 – 5,500,000 / US$ 449,000 – 705,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, 31 May.
Yew Don’ Wanna Pick From My Apple Tree (2021) by Christina Quarles challenges viewers to find their own meanings within its fluid, abstract forms. Human figures intertwine and dissolve into one another, their limbs and torsos merging in vibrant, non-traditional colors and patterns. Quarles’ work defies conventional markers of sexuality and gender, creating a dynamic scene of continuous transformation.
Quarles draws on her personal experiences. Born to parents of different races and identifying as a queer woman, she challenges traditional art historical narratives and societal norms. Her compositions disrupt the viewer's expectations, much like the provocative works of Arshile Gorky, pushing the boundaries of figurative art and portraiture. The title, Yew Don’ Wanna Pick From My Apple Tree, references Erykah Badu’s 90s soul hit "Appletree," an anthem of self-confidence and individuality. Badu’s lyrics, “I pick my friends like I pick my fruit… I work at pleasin' me 'cause I can't please you,” resonate deeply with Quarles’ themes of self-reliance and personal empowerment.
Yoshitomo Nara, O.T (N.G), 1993.
Estimate: HK$ 2,500,000 – 3,500,000 / US$ 321,000 – 449,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 1 June.
O.T (N.G) by Yoshitomo Nara is a visually captivating piece that showcases many of the most revered motifs in the Japanese artist’s distinctive visual language. A seemingly angelic child with red pigtails and a baby blue dress stands against a golden background. Her reserved posture and rosy cheeks suggest purity, but her confronting, almond-shaped emerald eyes invite a deeper, more proactive interpretation. This contrast between childhood innocence and the intricate vulnerability of emotion is a hallmark of Nara's iconic portraits.
A distinctive feature of this painting is the organic form atop the girl’s head, reminiscent of an inverted lily pad. This element not only reflects Nara’s upbringing in Northern Japan but also serves as a metaphor symbolizing themes of coming of age. Framed by a thick black outline — a signature of his work from this period — the girl in O.T (N.G) inhabits a space that seamlessly bridges the flat plane of drawing, the vibrant world of illustrations and comics, and the rich textures of painting.
Nara’s art often reflects his solitary childhood experiences, filled with rebellion and isolation. Educated at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf under Neo-Expressionist A.R. Penk, Nara developed a style that simplifies and intensifies his subjects against monochromatic backgrounds, a significant shift from his more complex early compositions.
KAWS, PERFECTLY CLEAR, 2010.
Estimate: HK$ 2,500,000 – 3,500,000 / US$ 321,000 – 449,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 1 June.
“I’m not seeing SpongeBob at all... I’m abstracting it and making it more about color and SpongeBob shape.” — KAWS
PERFECTLY CLEAR by KAWS reimagines the iconic SpongeBob character through an abstract lens, offering a tightly cropped view of his expressive face. Though stripped of all features, the character remains instantly recognizable. KAWS masterfully blends the vibrant aesthetics of classic animation with the boldness of Modernist painting, creating a piece that's both playful and sophisticated. By adding his trademark X-ed out eyes to SpongeBob's face, he infuses the work with his unique signature, making it an unforgettable fusion of art and pop culture.
First exhibited at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in 2011, this piece was part of a larger installation featuring various SpongeBob revisions. These works explored different aspects of the character’s face, sometimes exploding it into geometric forms reminiscent of Mondrian’s primary-color compositions. KAWS's background as a graffiti artist and animator informs his unique style, skillfully blending high art with pop culture. This distinctive fusion has made him one of today's most influential artists.
Derek Fordjour, One Up Two Down, 2016.
Estimate: HK$ 2,000,000 – 3,000,000 / US$ 256,000 – 385,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 1 June.
In One Up Two Down (2016), the artist Derek Fordjour employs three female figures resembling sports players or cheerleaders to explore unbalanced power dynamics. One figure stands on the knees of the other two to take center stage, while they, leaning back towards the ground, are pushed off to the sides. The towering central figure maintains her position only through the voluntary support of the others — a symbolic representation of the established routines and inequalities within societal structures. The twelve bright pink-and-white stripes behind them evoke a circus or big-game atmosphere, which is reminiscent of both Georges Seurat’s La Cirque and an upturned American flag to hint at the nation’s historical complexities.
Fordjour’s work frequently addresses themes of power, vulnerability, and inequality, drawing on his personal experiences as the son of Ghanaian immigrants and a Black man in contemporary America. His technique involves layering glued cardboard tiles, newspaper, and paint, which he partially scrapes away to reveal embedded histories. By revealing and concealing various elements within his work, Fordjour compels viewers to reflect on the multifaceted nature of support and dominance, urging a deeper understanding of how power is constructed and maintained within different contexts.
Invader, Rubik Green Ghost, 2008.
Estimate: HK$ 1,200,000 – 2,200,000 / US$ 154,000 – 282,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 1 June.
Rubik Green Ghost by Invader exemplifies the artist's unique blend of street art and digital culture. Known for his pixelated mosaic designs inspired by retro video games and iconic pop culture figures, Invader has become a prominent figure in contemporary street art since the late 1990s. Similar to Banksy, he maintains anonymity, often working at night to install his mosaics on city facades to make his art accessible to the public outside traditional galleries and museums.
Created using solved Rubik’s cubes, Rubik Green Ghost depicts one of the main antagonists from the iconic video game Pac-Man. Each cube, comprised of nine pieces or pixels, forms part of the ghost's silhouette, maintaining the pixelated aesthetic central to Invader's style. This approach echoes early digital art forms and also the pointillism technique of Georges Seurat, where individual dots create a cohesive image from a distance.
Invader's work emphasizes the cultural significance of video game characters, positioning them as modern icons in an era dominated by digital technology. His public installations, seen in over 65 cities across 33 countries, engage viewers in a dialogue with urban environments, transforming everyday spaces into interactive art experiences.
Kenny Scharf, Quark, 2021.
Estimate: HK$ 700,000 – 1,000,000 / US$ 89,700 – 128,000.
Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 1 June.
Kenny Scharf’s Quark bursts with energy and creativity, embodying his signature blend of pop culture and abstract expression. The title, referencing the fundamental particle of matter, also nods to James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, reflecting Scharf’s eclectic inspirations. Scharf, who mixes European artistic influences with mass media, transforms abstract paintings into lively compositions by adding alien-like faces, surrounded by luminescent patterns — a nod to his background in graffiti and street art.
Quark features swirling lines and vivid hues, creating a dynamic, fractal-like playground where cartoonish faces emerge, echoing the exuberant grotesquerie of Basil Wolverton and the whimsical creations of Hanna-Barbera. This fusion of styles and influences results in a visually striking tableau that invites viewers to find new patterns and details with each viewing. Scharf’s art, rooted in his childhood fascination with deconstructing popular images, continues to evolve, maintaining its joyous, uncontainable force and defying traditional artistic boundaries.