Yayoi Kusama - Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale Hong Kong Saturday, June 1, 2024 | Phillips
  • “I have been turning pages of my life using every possible means… And various discoveries of my soul. I would like to emphasise here that prints are part of each of these aspects.”
    — Yayoi Kusama

     

    The present work is a beautiful portrayal of Yayoi Kusama’s signature motifs, featuring a golden pumpkin decorated by variously sized polka dots, set against a backdrop of interconnected yellow-on-black nets. The work is further carefully held and enhanced by a frame elegantly designed by the artist, with yellow polka dots against a black backdrop. The composition serves not only as a testament to Kusama's enduring fascination with the psychedelic and the infinite, it also invites viewers into a meditative space, reflecting Kusama's own confrontation with the concept of self-obliteration and the universality of human experience.
     

    • Provenance

      Private Collection, Tokyo
      Acquired from the above by the present owner

    • Artist Biography

      Yayoi Kusama

      Japanese

      Named "the world's most popular artist" in 2015, it's not hard to see why Yayoi Kusama continues to dazzle contemporary art audiences globally. From her signature polka dots—"fabulous," she calls them—to her mirror-and-light Infinity Rooms, Kusama's multi-dimensional practice of making art elevates the experience of immersion. To neatly pin an artistic movement onto Kusama would be for naught: She melds and transcends the aesthetics and theories of many late twentieth century movements, including Pop Art and Minimalism, without ever taking a singular path.

       

      As an nonagenarian who still lives in Tokyo and steadfastly paints in her studio every day, Kusama honed her punchy cosmic style in New York City in the 1960s. During this period, she staged avant-garde happenings, which eventually thrust her onto the international stage with a series of groundbreaking exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in the 1980s and the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993. She continues to churn out paintings and installations at inspiring speed, exhibiting internationally in nearly every corner of the globe, and maintains a commanding presence on the primary market and at auction.

       
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PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT SOUTHEAST ASIAN COLLECTION

219

PUMPKIN (from All prints of KUSAMA YAYOI 1979-2004)

signed, titled, numbered and dated '267/380 "PUMPKIN" 2005 Yayoi Kusama' along the bottom edge
screenprint on paper, in artist's frame
image 14 x 20 cm. (5 1/2 x 7 7/8 in.)
frame 23 x 28 cm. (9 x 11 in.)

Executed in 2005, this work is number 267 from an edition of 380, accompanied by a numbered book published by ABE Publishing Ltd.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
HK$200,000 - 300,000 
€23,600-35,400
$25,600-38,500

Contact Specialist

Anastasia Salnikoff
Associate Specialist, Head of Day Sale
+852 2318 2014
anastasiasalnikoff@phillips.com
 

Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale

Hong Kong Auction 1 June 2024