HONG KONG.- Two paintings by minimalist artist Richard Lin led Bonhams Modern and Contemporary Art Sale in Hong Kong on 25 November. The two works, standing at two ends of the artist’s most fertile period of creativity, are 14-MAY-1959 and Cadmium Green. An early work which came fresh to the market, 14-MAY-1959 (lot 18) sold for HK$ 2,500,625, eclipsing the pre-sale high estimate (HK$ 1,800,000 – 2,500,000) to become the top lot of the sale. Similarly, the fresh-to-market Cadmium Green (lot 17) from 1974 sold for HK$ 2,250,625, also exceeding the pre-sale high estimate (HK$ 1,700,000 – 2,200,000). A further sale highlight by Richard Lin was the oil on paper Untitled (lot 19), which fetched HK$ 500,625, three times the pre-sale estimate (HK$ 150,000 – 200,000). Bonhams has been the principal auction house to revive market interest in Richard Lin and has continued to lead this market.

Japanese Modern and Contemporary art: 93% Sold
Among the highlights of the Japanese section was a curated group of works by artists of the post-war avant-garde movement: Mono-ha. The results were spearheaded by such works as Susumu Koshimizu’s Water-Float-Vessel - Ishitsuri (Fishing of Stone) (lot 58), the cover lot which exceeded expectation and sold for HK$ 225,625 (estimate: HK$ 140,000 – 220,000). Further highlights include:

• Kishio Suga’s Fuchi-no-naigai (In-out of the edge) (lot 51). Sold for HK$ 75,625, nearly four times the pre-sale estimate (HK$ 20,000 – 30,000).

• Yuichi Inoue’s Hana (Flower, Mandarava (Sanskrit), heavenly blossom) (lot 62). Sold for HK$ 113,125, nearly three times the pre-sale estimate (HK$ 40,000– 60,000).

Taiwanese Modern and Contemporary art: 80% Sold
Taiwanese artists of the immediate post-war decades were well represented in the sale. Apart from works by British-Taiwanese Richard Lin, the sale also achieved other notable results including Liu Kuo Sung’s ink and colour on paper work In Yellow Light (lot 20), which sold for HK$ 688,125, more than doubling the estimate (HK$ 280,000 – 480,000).

Contemporary Art
The Contemporary art section saw a new artist world auction record for the Korean artist Choi Young Wook, as his large-scale canvas Karma (lot 34) sold for HK$ 325,625, doubling the estimate (HK$ 160,000 – 240,000). Other contemporary highlights include:

• Li Chen’s bronze sculpture Sky (lot 40). Sold for HK$ 688,125, more than doubling the estimate (HK$ 280,000 – 350,000).

• Zeng Fanzhi’s Mask Series (lot 38). Sold for HK$ 2,188,125 (estimate: HK$ 2,000,000 – 2,800,000).

• Cai Guo Qiang’s Hanging Pine (lot 36). Sold for HK$ 1,125,625 (estimate: HK$ 800,000 – 1,200,000).