Yayoi Kusama - Modern & Contemporary Art: Evening & Day Sale London Thursday, June 27, 2024 | Phillips

Modern & Contemporary Art: Evening & Day Sale

London Auction 27 June 2024

  • “These paintings leave one groping for a predecessor – there is none. Neither the compelling rhythms of Tobey, nor the intricate tracery of Pollock are precursors of the hypnotic painting of Kusama. Small forms flow into each other, grow and diminish, with an undulating rhythm so deeply tuned to nature that the viewer, as he lets himself become fully aware of the painting, experiences the same serenity and suppressed excitement that he feels in watching changing cloud formations, moving shadows of sun through leaves, water ripples and shadow patterns in the water below […] There is a deep rhythm in these paintings: compelling tensions are developed, sustained, and resolved.”
    —Beatrice Perry

    • Provenance

      Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo
      Templon, Paris
      Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2006

    • Exhibited

      Tokyo, Ota Fine Arts, Yayoi Kusama, 14 June–15 July 2000

    • 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.

       
      View More Works

Property of an Eminent Private European Collection

14

Yayoi Kusama

Infinity Nets (OQ5)

signed, titled and dated '2000 INFINITY NETS (OQ5) YAYOI KUSAMA' on the reverse
acrylic on canvas
53 x 45.5 cm (20 7/8 x 17 7/8 in.)
Painted in 2000, this work is accompanied by a registration card issued by the artist's studio.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
£200,000 - 300,000 ‡

Sold for £355,600

Contact Specialist

Louise Simpson
Associate Specialist
+44 7887 473 568
lsimpson@phillips.com

Modern & Contemporary Art: Evening & Day Sale

London Auction 27 June 2024