HONG KONG.- In celebration of Hong Kong Arts Month, Sotheby’s S|2 presents American artist Alex Katz’s debut major selling exhibition in Hong Kong this March. Running from 15 March – 1 April, the eponymous exhibition ALEX KATZ offers iconic portraits and landscapes by the now 91-year-old titan of modernist figurative art.

Alex Katz established his career in New York in the 1950s in the heyday of Abstract Expressionism, countering the rise of abstraction with a pioneering modernist figurative aesthetic. Characterised by bold vibrant colour, pristine flat surfaces and a virtuosic economy of line, Katz’s celebrated portraits and landscapes are widely regarded as a precursor of Pop Art. His most recognisable works consist of large-scale canvases featuring everyday scenes and subjects, largely devoid of narrative and context in order to foreground the immediacy of the moment. Spanning some 70 years, Katz’s oeuvre is devoted to what he describes as “painting in the present tense”, revealing his sensitive attention to his immediate milieu: scenes of social interaction, landscapes, flowers, and portraits of friends and family – his wife and muse Ada in particular.

Yuki Terase, Head of Contemporary Art, Asia, states, “In continuation of our innovative initiatives that reflect global currents of the art market, Sotheby’s is honoured to introduce Alex Katz to Hong Kong. Katz’s seminal minimal figurative aesthetic not only anticipated the Pop Art explosion in New York in the 1960s but also influenced generations of artists around the world. Following the artist’s recent shows in Shanghai and Seoul, we are excited to unveil more of his iconic works to the maturing Asian market.

Jonathan Wong, Gallery Director, states, “Aligning with the Gallery’s long-term commitment to introduce significant Western artists to Asia, Sotheby’s is thrilled to present Alex Katz’s debut major solo exhibition in Hong Kong. The city’s much anticipated Art Month is apt timing for such an occasion. We believe that Katz’s bold and pioneering paintings will resonate well in Asia and create new dialogues and perspectives within the current art scene, allowing both established and first-time collectors to rediscover the diversity of contemporary art.”