THE ART DOCTOR – Exclusive Interview with Senior Master Conservator & Restorer Venizelos G. Gavrilakis | Part 2UNBREAKABLE: Surviving Assault, Drugs & Prison – Exclusive Interview with Elizabeth Mikotowicz | Part 4The Enigma of Raphael – Price Analysis and History of the Legendary ArtistCrazy Facts About Andy Warhol’s Eccentric Life
Maurice Leloir’s Four Historical Scenes Sell for €128,600 at BonhamsJacob Jordaens’s Portrait of His Wife Sells for €154,200 at BonhamsRenaissance Portrait Attributed to Conrad Faber Sells for €295,000 at BonhamsJodi the Nanotyrannus Sells for US$47.3 Million at Sotheby’sQianlong Emperor’s Jewel-Encrusted Gold Ewer Sells for US$7.11 Million at Christie’sHockney’s €282,200 Print Leads Warhol and Banksy in €1.06 Million Bonhams SaleMV Agusta Sells for $1.3 Million, Setting an Italian Motorcycle Auction RecordEnigma Machine Sells for £203,600 at Bonhams: Inside the 1941 Cipher DeviceUzo Egonu’s Will Knowledge Safeguard Freedom I Sets Auction Record at £198,900Yusuf Grillo’s One Man Band Sets Artist Auction Record at £461,300Ben Enwonwu’s Anyanwu Sells for £602,100, Setting a Sculpture Record at BonhamsRare Gandhi Portrait Achieves £152,800, Tripling Its EstimateBanksy’s British Cool Mickey Snake Triumphs at Bonhams, Selling for £330,600Whistler’s First Portrait Commission Sells for Five Times Estimate, Fetching $495,000Bridget Riley Stuns Art World as Myrrh Soars to $2.36M at Bonhams

Asia

Art, antiques, auctions, and cultural stories from across Asia.

Younger Generations in Asia Are Spending Big on Contemporary and Digital Art

By on • ( 3 Comments )
Illustration of a crowded art auction hall with raised hands, paintings and an Art/NFT display.

Younger generations in Asia are increasingly shaping the art market, with millennials and Generation X collectors spending heavily on contemporary and digital art. According to CNBC, millennials and Gen X buyers are emerging as dominant forces in auction houses, driving a significant portion of sales across the region. As the art market continues to evolve, younger collectors and investors, especially in Asia, are set to play a pivotal role in shaping its future.

RX Japan Opens Visitor Registration for the International Jewellery Tokyo Autumn Show

By on • ( 1 Comment )
IJT Autumn 2024 promotional graphic listing October 23–25 at Pacifico Yokohama, Japan, beside a crowded exhibition aisle.

RX Japan is excited to announce the opening of visitor registration for the 12th International Jewellery Tokyo Autumn (IJT AUTUMN 2024), set to take place on October 23rd-25th at Pacifico Yokohama. This prestigious event, a highlight in the global jewellery industry calendar, will showcase around 810,000 exquisite jewellery items, including rare gemstones, coloured diamonds, pearls, luxury watches, and more.

Does Mark Zuckerberg’s Statue of His Wife Alienate the Asian Community?

By on • ( 1 Comment )
Priscilla Chan beside a sculpture of herself by Daniel Arsham, commissioned by Mark Zuckerberg.

Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Meta, is no stranger to public scrutiny. His latest public endeavor, a statue of his wife Priscilla Chan, has sparked a wave of discussion that transcends mere artistic critique. The 7-foot-tall sculpture, unveiled on Zuckerberg’s Instagram account to his 14.6 million followers, has been met with a mixture of bewilderment and criticism, particularly from within the Asian community. The choice of design and execution has led to concerns that the artwork unintentionally reinforces harmful stereotypes, portraying Chan in a manner that aligns more closely with an alien being than with the classical beauty and reverence traditionally associated with statues of loved ones.

Magnificent Japanese Inlaid Jar from the Meiji Era Sells for $146,000

By on
Meiji-era inlaid iron jar and cover by Yano Katsumine, circa 1890.

A notable inlaid iron jar and cover, decorated with intricate designs of birds and flowers representing the four seasons and commissioned by the renowned Meiji-era crafts entrepreneur Kawaguchi Yohei of Tokyo, sold for £114,700 ($146,000) at Bonhams New Bond Street. The item significantly exceeded its estimated value of £50,000-80,000 ($63,000-102,000) during the Fine Japanese Art Sale, which featured Meiji Masterpieces from a Distinguished Deceased Estate this May. The auction comprised 166 lots, achieving a total of £1,065,816 ($1,363,000), with a remarkable 98% sold by value.

14th Century Vajradhara Figurine Sells for €4.16 Million as Speelman Collection of Ancient Himalayan Art Achieves €15.2 Million at Auction

By on • ( 1 Comment )
Fourteenth-century gilt copper alloy figure of Vajradhara seated with crossed arms.

In a spectacular display of auction prowess, the Jules Speelman Collection garnered a total of €15.2 million at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris, far surpassing its pre-sale estimate of €4.2 million. The auction, consisting of 28 exquisite lots, was 93% sold by lot and 100% by value, underscoring the intense demand for Asian Art and Buddhist Sculpture curated over 60 years by the esteemed dealer and collector, Jules Speelman.

Pixels and Paint: Mixed Media Artist Nancy Jo Ward Debuts at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

By on • ( 2 Comments )
Colorful portrait of a person with hair in two buns and layered necklaces against a turquoise background.

California-based mixed media artist Nancy Jo Ward is bringing her evocative portraits to the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum for Japan’s 23rd International Art Exchange Exhibition from June 15-20, 2024. Ward creates rich, emotionally resonant figurative art using a hybrid approach that includes digital drawing, painting, and the use of gold and silver foils. Blurring the lines between pixels, paint, and algorithm, she shapes unique images that delve deep into the minds and hearts of her subjects.

Black Void: Pioneering a New Era of Digital Art and Environmental Consciousness

By on • ( 1 Comment )
Blue and violet fan-shaped Biosphere 3 form with radiating ridges against a black background.

In April 2024, the art collective “Black Void” participated in the Hong Kong Web 3 Festival and the Hu Shi Guang Art Eco Site. Their project “Twin Cloud” at the Hong Kong Web 3 Festival integrates innovation in blockchain technology and climate-conscious generative art, making crypto art an entry point for green practice. The other project, “Biosphere 3,” uses a digital life generative system and 3D printing technology to present an interstellar species, leaving a series of sculptures at the Hu Shi Guang Art Eco Site. As a fusion of art and science, Black Void’s works exemplify how digital technologies can address current ecological issues, both within digital realms and real-world settings.

Cecilia Aisin-Gioro: Royal Descendant Bridging Cultures with Feng Shui Art

By on • ( 1 Comment )
Cecilia Aisin-Gioro’s vivid painting of an elephant surrounded by birds, white horned animals and orange-purple clouds.

Cecilia Aisin-Gioro, also known as Aixinjueluo Hengqin, represents the last royal lineage of China. As a member of the Heng generation in the Aisin-Gioro family and the great-niece of Puyi, the last emperor of China, her heritage has profoundly shaped her life. Symbolism holds paramount significance in Chinese court painting, epitomizing imperial reverence, a tradition that deeply influences Cecilia’s work. During the Cultural Revolution, her family suffered severely due to their royal ties, leading to social ostracism. For Cecilia Aisin-Gioro, painting provides an essential outlet, a sentiment shared by many descendants of the Aisin-Gioro family.

Swedish Artist and Musician Maj-Britt Niklasson to Showcase Inner Universe in Beijing Exhibition

By on • ( 2 Comments )
Purple-clad figure reaching toward a taller outlined figure across a scalloped dark boundary against a yellow background.

Swedish artist, musician, and writer Maj-Britt Niklasson is set to grace the Archive Art Museum in Beijing with her captivating works, offering a glimpse into the depths of the human psyche through her intricate oil paintings on canvas. The exhibition, curated by David Khazaie and Nour Nouri of Pashmin Art in Hamburg, promises to be a celebration of art’s ability to transcend borders and unite cultures.

Rare Basquiat Masterpieces Worth Over $60,000,000 Unveiled by Phillips

By on • ( 1 Comment )
Detail of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (ELMAR), 1982, with a red figure against blue and yellow areas.

The spotlight shines brightly on the monumental 1982 masterpiece, estimated to fetch a staggering $40-60 million. This captivating piece, dubbed ‘Untitled (ELMAR),’ commands attention with its sheer scale and intricate symbolism. Acquired by the Pellizzi Family just two years after its creation, this eight-foot-wide marvel stands as a testament to Basquiat’s transformative journey from street art prodigy to gallery luminary. Rich in iconography and imbued with self-referential imagery, ‘Untitled (ELMAR)’ offers a profound exploration of duality within the artist’s identity, encapsulating the essence of Basquiat at the zenith of his creative prowess.