During the challenging yet rewarding year of 2020, museum-class masterpieces continued to appear in the salesrooms while several artists also made their debut in the Asian auction market. Poly and Phillips’ associated sale last year was one of the highlights of the Asian contemporary art auction market. Artworks by the big names such as Yoshitomo Nara and Jean-Michel Basquiat were offered in the sale, some emerging artists have surprised the market with their record-breaking moments wildly exceeding expectations.
Overall auction market and sales of Poly Auction Hong Kong has recorded a steady rise amidst the pandemic. Poly Auction Hong Kong has reached an astonishing sell-through rate of 94% and totalled HKD 550 million in 2020, which was contributed by 13 artists’ sparkling record-breaking moments, such as Matthew Wong, Lucas Arruda, Genieve Figgis, Javier Calleja, and others.
LARRY’S LIST highlights 10 lots by some A-listers and rising stars.
Yoshitomo Nara
Hothouse Doll
Painted in 1995
acrylic on canvas
119.8 × 109.9 cm.
Sold for: HK$ 103,115,000
2nd highest auction record for the artist
Matthew Wong
River at Dusk
Painted in 2018
oil on canvas
203.2 × 178 cm.
Sold for: HK $ 37,760,000
*new highest auction record for the artist
Genieve Figgis
Wedding Party
Painted in 2019
acrylic on canvas
100 × 150 cm.
Sold for: HK $ 4,410,000
*new highest auction record for the artist
Javier Calleja
No More Stories
Painted in 2019
acrylic on canvas, in artist’s frame
130 × 162 cm.
Sold for: HK $4,032,000
*new highest auction record for the artist
Lucas Arruda
Untitled
Painted in 2013
oil on canvas
50 × 60 cm.
Sold for: HK $3,780,000
*new highest auction record for the artist
Bernard Frieze
Wir
Executed in 2018
acrylic and resin on canvas
Sold for: HK $2, 142,000
*new highest auction record for the artist
Jonathan Chapline
Untitled
Painted in 2018
acrylic and vinyl paint on panel
178 × 203.5 cm.
Sold for: HK $1,890,000
*new highest auction record for the artist
Yukimasa Ida
Miko
Painted in 2017
oil on canvas
117 × 117 cm.
Sold for: HK $1,512,000
*new highest auction record for the artist
Chiharu Shiota
State of Being (Shoes)
Executed in 2019
metal frame, shoes, thread
30 × 30 × 30 cm.
Sold for: HK$ 1,033,200
*new highest auction record for the artist
Miya Ando
Kumo (Cloud) Oct. 3.3.4
Executed in 2018
ink on aluminium composite
91.4 × 91.4 cm.
Sold for HK$ 189,000
*new highest auction record for the artist
Interested in consigning your potential record-breaking artworks?
The upcoming Spring Auctions 2021 by Poly Auction Hong Kong is scheduled to be held in April in Hong Kong, with the aim to create another record-breaking sale for you to witness. Poly Auction Hong Kong will continue presenting auctions under various themes and global perspectives, as well as actively acquiring works of emerging artists with precision.
Contact Poly Auction Hong Kong’s global team for free consultation and market valuation services, by sending email to sale@polyauction.com.hk, call +852 2303 9804, or visit Poly Auction Hong Kong for more information.
