Jonathan Crockett, Chairman and Auctioneer of Phillips Asia, sold Yoshitomo Nara's "Looking for Treasure" for nearly HK$84 million.

(Provided by Phillips)

Yoshitomo Nara's "Looking for Treasure" fetched HK$83.85 million, the highest in the night auction.

(Photographed by reporter Tu Yingru) [Reporter Tu Yingru/Report from Taipei] The new Asian headquarters of internationally renowned auction house Phillips officially opened in the West Kowloon Cultural District on the 18th of this month, and the "Twentieth Century and Contemporary Art" The evening auction was also held last night (30th) and closed at 350 million Hong Kong dollars (about 1.36 billion Taiwan dollars). The highest priced work in this session was Yoshitomo Nara's "Looking for Treasure", which changed hands for 83.85 million Hong Kong dollars, followed by Yayoi Kusama's "Pumpkin" changed hands with a transaction price of HK$56.11 million, and the third highest price was Hong Kong-Canadian painter Wang Junjie's landscape masterpiece "Road", which sold for HK$36.145 million.

A total of 40 works were put up for auction in this evening auction, and 36 were sold, with a turnover rate of 90%.

Phillips holds its first 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale at its new Asian headquarters in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District.

(Provided by Phillips)

Yayoi Kusama's "Pumpkin" sold for HK$56.11 million, making it the second highest priced lot in this auction.

(Photographed by reporter Tu Yingru)

Jonathan Crockett, chairman of Phillips Asia, said: "We are very pleased that the first evening auction held at the new headquarters in Asia today achieved a total turnover of HK$350 million, a 65% increase from last year's Hong Kong Spring Evening Auction and a record high. As high as 96% of the transaction rate and 90% of the project transaction rate. The vitality and enthusiasm we felt during Hong Kong Art Week last week proves that the resilience and strength of the art market here has not diminished. In the past two weeks, we have welcomed nearly 8,000 people Collectors and art lovers from all over the world visit our new space, and bidders from 34 countries and regions actively participated in today's evening auction through on-site, online and telephone bidding. Tonight's leading auction is Yoshitomo Nara The work "Looking for Treasure" was sold for nearly HK$84 million, demonstrating the continued strong market for this Japanese contemporary art master."

Wang Junjie's "Road" was sold for HK$36.145 million.

(Photographed by reporter Tu Yingru)

Roy Lichtenstein's "Brush Reflection" was sold for HK$19.81 million.

(Provided by Phillips)

Chen Zunwen further pointed out that the focus of this season's auction is definitely Yayoi Kusama's "Pumpkin". The artist's largest retrospective in Asia outside Japan is currently being held at the M+ Museum of Visual Culture in Hong Kong, which is adjacent to our new headquarters.

This work was sold for more than HK$56 million, exceeding the pre-auction high estimate, and the auction proceeds will be donated to the Clarinda Carnegie Museum of Art in Iowa.

Tonight we set auction records for Chinese artist Chen Ke and American artist Brett Crawford, and Genesis Tremin made her Asian auction debut.

We are very happy to officially open our new auction room in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, and we are also looking forward to the 31 day auction and the various exhibitions and auctions that will be held in this new space throughout the year.

Please read on...

Takashi Murakami's "Flower's Parent and Child" was sold for HK$14.002 million.

(Photographed by reporter Tu Yingru)

The exterior of Phillips' Asian headquarters building that has just been completed.

(Photographed by reporter Tu Yingru)

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