The artwork, "Untitled (One Eyed Man or Xerox Face)" will be offered in the 20th/21st century art evening sale on May 24 in Hong Kong
A masterpiece by the late Jean-Michel Basquiat titled, Untitled (One Eyed Man or Xerox Face) is one of the major highlights of Christie's upcoming spring auction season. It follows the successful sale of Basquiat's Warrior in March, which set a new world record for the most expensive Western artwork ever sold at an auction in Asia for HK$323,600,000.
The artwork will be offered in the 20th/21st century art evening sale on May 24 in Hong Kong and is expected to fetch HK$140,000,000–170,000,000 or US$18,000,000–22,000,000. It was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao as part of a major exhibition of Basquiat's works presented in 2015. The legendary artist painted the piece in 1982, a year that is widely regarded as one of the most important in his career.
It was that year when he began to achieve commercial success and widespread recognition and also when he produced when his most energic and original works. Untitled is part of a series of 72 x 48-inch works executed on a panel between 1981 and 1982, it's the same series that also included the record-breaking Warrior.
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Basquiat's rich use of mixed media for the painting also makes it a highly sought-after piece. Depicting a vibrant red body amidst contrasting blue, yellow and white, Untitled's composition is exceptionally strong. The artist also demonstrates his highly versatile usage of the medium by incorporating acrylic, spray paint and oil stick in addition to collage, creating a textured surface that shows off the profound influence of street art on his work.
"It is truly an honour to be entrusted with yet another spectacular painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat, one of the most significant artists of the Post-War period. To be able to present this painting in the same season as Warrior testifies to the outpouring of interest and appetite in Asia for top quality artworks by important Western artists," says Jacky Ho, vice president and head of the 20th/21st century art evening sale, Asia Pacific.
The auction takes place on May 24 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information, please visit Christie's website. A public preview in Hong Kong, available only via appointment, will run from May 21–24. Please contact infoasia@christies.com for more details.
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