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 29 and 30 September 2026. The auctions will feature major works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, and Zao Wou-Ki, each representing significant contributions to their respective fields.

A highlight of the sale 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 skull motif are characteristic of Basquiat’s approach to art, blending different media and recurring imagery.

Yayoi Kusama’s work in the auction is a large-scale canvas. The painting depicts one of her signature pumpkins, rendered in yellow with black polka dots. The pumpkin is set against a prismatic Infinity Net backdrop, a recurring element in Kusama’s oeuvre. 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.”

Another notable work in the auction is a painting by Zao Wou-Ki from his celebrated ‘Oracle Bone’ period. During this period, 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, reflecting Zao’s interest in combining traditional and modern influences.

The auction will also include the only snow scene from Zao’s Snow Landscape series to use an autumnal colour palette. This work is distinguished by its flowing configuration of aqueous yellows, saturated reds, and faded greens. The palette makes it seasonally appropriate for a late-September auction.

Most of the two-metre-wide composition in Zao’s painting is taken up by an expansive, deep-blue area. This area is evocative of abstract masters like Yves Klein and Mark Rothko, even as it is framed by figurative details. The interplay between abstraction and figuration is a hallmark of Zao’s style during this period.

These works represent a cross-section of Modern and contemporary art, with each artist bringing a unique perspective and technique to the auction. The selection highlights the diversity of approaches and themes present in the art world during the 20th and 21st centuries, as reflected in the upcoming Christie’s Hong Kong sales.