Phillips' Hong Kong Auctions Led by Yayoi Kusama Achieve $19.7 Million

The Evening Sale spanned nearly nine decades of art history, with sought-after artists from Marc Chagall to Alexander Calder, Wifredo Lam and KAWS. Phillips' first Asian Day Sale offered modern and contemporary art, including up and coming Asian artists such as Tomoo Gokita, as well as the largest selection of Danish and Italian design ever offered in Asia.

Both sales were led by Yayoi Kusama. Her iconic Pumpkin (three works) (2002), estimated at $1.9-$2.5 million, sold for $2,619,900 in the Evening Sale, while her The Thames in the Morning (1988), estimated at $150,000-$230,000, sold for $319,500 at the Day Sale.

The top ten Evening sales included KAWS’ monumental sculpture COMPANION (RESTING PLACE) (2013), which sold for $779,580. The Evening Sale also established a new world auction record for American artist Stanley Whitney, whose Queen of Hearts (2004) sold for $223,650, breaking his previous record price of $200,000. The top ten Day sales included Takashi Murakami’s Flower collaboration with MADSAKI (2017), which sold for $255,600. Sopheap Pich, Maria Taniguchi, Genevieve Chua, and Ma Sibo all broke records with sales of their work.