HONG KONG – 13 November 2023 – Phillips is pleased to announce highlights from the inaugural New Now & Design auction in Hong Kong. Taking place at 2 pm HKT on 26 November at Phillips’ Asia headquarters, the sale will offer over 100 lots, combining works from sought-after artists alongside emerging names. The sale will introduce a few debut artists to the secondary market in Asia, including Kelly Beeman and Gao Hang. Their works will be featured alongside other in demand names at auction, such as Mr., Mehdi Ghadyanloo and Yuan Fang. Also on offer is a selection of exceptional examples of 20th & 21st Century European Design include works by Hervé van der Straeten, Hans Wegner, Ole Wanscher and Franco Albini, among others. The digital auction catalogue will be available online starting 15th November, and on view to the public from 18th – 26th November at Phillips Hong Kong galleries in the WKCDA Tower in West Kowloon Cultural District. 

Angela Tian, Head of New Now & Design Sale, Phillips Hong Kong, said, “‘New Now’ is one of the most successful and iconic auction series held at Phillips. We have held successful ‘New Now’ auctions in New York and London, and are now delighted to hold the first ‘New Now & Design’ sale in Hong Kong. As Phillips continues its expansion in Asia with an enhanced sale calendar for our new headquarters, we are excited to launch this highly anticipated sale series. 

Historically, collectors have looked to the ‘New Now’ sales as a guidepost for emerging names that are on the cusp of widespread international acclaim. Staying true to this spirit, our first sale of this kind in Asia will also place a strong focus on the region, connecting Contemporary and Modern artists from China, Japan, Korea and South-East Asia. ‘New Now & Design’ will also bring Contemporary Art into dialogue with some of the very best Design works from the 20th and 21st Century masters. 

Mr.
First Time Ever, 2007
acrylic on canvas, 100 x 80.3 cm.
Estimate: HK$1,000,000-2,000,000/US$128,000-256,000

Coming to auction for the first time, First Time Ever (illustrated page 1) is a unique and early example by the multidisciplinary Japanese artist, Mr., painted in 2007. As one of the most representative artists of his time, Mr.’s earlier works such as First Time Ever focuses on detailed depictions of landscapes and cityscapes, showcasing a painterly aesthetic that is now rare to see. The work features an adolescent girl standing by a riverbank at sunset, accompanied by a creature atop her head, embarking on an unknown adventure. Lush vegetation, distant high-rise buildings, and reflective waters are rendered in intricate details, culminating into a vivid snapshot of a riverbank landscape that recalls well known landmarks such as the Kamo River in Kyoto. 
 

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Yuichi Hirako
Lost in Thought 50, 2019
acrylic on canvas, 110 x 90.2 cm.
Estimate: HK$400,000-600,000 / 
US$51,300 - 76,900

Another highlight of the sale is Lost in Thought 50 by Japanese contemporary artist Yuichi Hirako, one of the most impressive paintings hailing from his Lost in Thought series to appear at auction. Depicted in the foreground of the present work are Hirako’s signature character, the ‘Tree Man’. Existing as half human and half tree, the figure lazes leisurely with his black cat, blending harmoniously into the rich forest that surrounds him. Rendered in bold saturated hues of acrylic paint, Lost in Thought 50 encourages deep introspection, and invites viewers to reconsider their own relationships with nature and the organisms that surround around us.

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Yuan Fang
Untitled #01, 2022
acrylic on canvas, 59.8 x 91 cm.
Estimate: HK$100,000-150,000/ 
US$12,800 - 19,200

Visually striking and unapologetically bold, the works of Chinese artist Yuan Fang are highly sought-after. Her works can be understood as the physical representations of memories, emotions, and vulnerability. Known for her dynamic abstractions, her gestural style explores complex human experiences by transforming such concepts into fluid brushstrokes on canvas, recalling the works of abstract expressionist painter Lee Krasner, whom Fang has expressed as one of her influences. In particular, the two share an interest in exploring the interplay between form and colour. Also fresh to auction, the present work unfolds with indomitable force, allowing chaos and unpredictability to permeate with each stroke as it surfaces and coalesces.

Mehdi Ghadyanloo
The Eternal Gate, 2019
acrylic on canvas, 59.8 x 91 cm.
Estimate: HK$180,000-280,000/ 
US$23,100 - 35,900
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Best known for his surrealistically still yet contemplative works, The Eternal Gate is a superlative example of Iranian artist Mehdi Ghadyanloo’s creative output, where the artist transforms a three-dimensional structure onto a two-dimensional canvas, creating a surreal plane that plays with the viewer’s perspectives. Taking inspiration from Giorgio de Chirico’s metaphysical paintings, Ghadyanloo’s style is characterised by his masterful ability in capturing the contrast between lightness and darkness through his implementation of the chiaroscuro technique. Devoid of figures in most of his works, the artist typically renders his utopian compositions with the simple structure of four walls, and injects everyday objects from his daily encounters as his main focal point. The present work was also featured in Ghadyanloo’s solo exhibition Portals of Light at Galleri Golsa in Oslo in 2019. 

Hervage van der Straten
"Perspective No. 360", written in 2004
Lacquered steel copper mirrored glass, 125 x 137 x 23 cm
Estimate: HK$60,000-80,000

In addition, the sale features a strong selection of 20th and 21st Century design from designers and manufacturers who stylistically defined the international design landscape. Among them is 'Miroir Pelote', model no. 360 by French designer Hervé van der Straeten. First known for his jewellery designs, Hervé van der Straeten now enjoys international recognition for his strikingly stylish furniture, mirrors, and lighting creations, that are instantly recognizable, from the way that contrasting materials, bold variations of forms and elegant lines are combined with perfect proportions. 

Hans Wegener
" Armchair", written in 1943
walnut leather, 81 x 57 x 51 cm
Estimate: HK$20,000 – 30,000

Hans Wegner’s China Chair will also be among the auction highlights. Wegner is considered one of the most important and prolific modernists who designed over 500 chairs, and he designed this now-iconic ‘China’ chair after seeing an illustration of an antique round back Chinese chair in a book about chair typologies throughout history. Deeply interested in this model, he obtained his own version of the chair through the East Asiatic Company and went on to design chairs whose form is deeply indebted to Chinese examples. He simplified the form into its most clear and logical design while also utilising the best materials and superb craftsmanship, which is what truly makes it a classic example of Danish Modern design.
 

Other Highlights of New Now & Design

Laurens Legiers
Ships and Blue Lilies, 2022
oil on canvas, 160.1 x 130 cm.
Estimate: HK$100,000 -150,000/ US$12,800 - 19,200

Kelly Beeman
Cordless Phone, 2020
oil on canvas, 152.4 x 121.9 cm.
Estimate: HK$120,000 -180,000/ US$15,400 -23,100

Gao Hang
Just Freaking Dunked on My Girlfriend, 2020
acrylic on canvas, 151 x 120.9 cm.
Estimate: HK$60,000 - 80,000/ US$7,700 - 10,300

Jade Ching-yuk Ng
The Horizon, 2022
oil on canvas, 200 x 200 cm.
Estimate: HK$120,000 – 180,000/ US$15,400 – 23,100

Gongkan
Freedom, 2022
acrylic on canvas mounted on wooden board, 160 x 120 cm.
Estimate: HK$120,000 – 180,000/ US$15,400 – 23,100

Liu Ye
Hey!, 2000
oil on canvas, 35.3 x 27.5 cm. 
Estimate: HK$3,000,000 – 5,000,000/ US$385,000 – 641,000 
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New Now & Design

Auction: 26 November 2023 2pm HKT

Public Exhibition: 18-26 November 11am – 7pm HKT

Location: G/F, WKCDA Tower, West Kowloon Cultural District, No. 8 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
 Kong

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