Blue-chip Artists Lead Christie’s Hong Kong Modern and Contemporary Art Auctions

Christie’s will present a selection of Modern and contemporary art at its 20th- and 21st-century marquee auctions in Hong Kong on September 29 and 30, 2026. The sales will be led by major works from Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, and Zao Wou-Ki, each representing distinct approaches and periods in the evolution of contemporary art.

A highlight of the auction is a mixed-media work by Jean-Michel Basquiat. This piece combines acrylic, oilstick, and Xerox paper collage on canvas. It features one of Basquiat’s most enduring motifs: a human skull. The use of these materials and the recurring skull motif are characteristic of Basquiat’s artistic language.

Yayoi Kusama’s contribution is a large-scale canvas that features one of her signature pumpkins. The pumpkin is rendered in yellow with black polka dots, set against a prismatic Infinity Net backdrop. This combination of motifs and colors is emblematic of Kusama’s style, which often explores repetition and vibrant contrasts.

Kusama, who passed away in August 2026 at the age of 97, created pumpkins throughout her career, both on canvas and as large-scale sculptures. She praised pumpkins for their “generous unpretentiousness,” a sentiment reflected in her repeated use of the motif across different media and periods.

Zao Wou-Ki’s painting in the auction comes from his celebrated ‘Oracle Bone’ period. During this time, Zao was inspired to transform ancient Chinese scripts into abstract compositions. The painting’s title refers to the Milky Way, and its abstract forms meld elements of calligraphy and astronomy, demonstrating Zao’s interest in merging cultural and visual traditions.

This particular painting is the only snow scene from Zao’s Snow Landscape series to use an autumnal color palette. The flowing configuration of aqueous yellows, saturated reds, and faded greens makes it seasonally appropriate for a late-September auction, highlighting the artist’s sensitivity to both subject and timing.

Most of the two-metre-wide composition is dominated by an expansive, deep-blue area. This evokes the work of abstract masters like Yves Klein and Mark Rothko, even as the painting is framed by figurative details. The interplay between abstraction and figuration is a hallmark of Zao’s approach during this period, offering viewers a complex visual experience.