Composition No. 65 is representative of Chu Teh-Chun's early abstract period. He painted it in 1960, a year which is considered to be the prime of his career, when he transformed his style from the representational to the abstract. The work has a vertical format that emphasises his references to scroll-mounted Chinese classical landscape paintings. He used canvas as the base and oil as his medium, perfectly transforming a cornerstone of Chinese tradition using a classically western form of expression.

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$15,000,000–20,000,000

See also: Chinese Artist Liu Wei Discusses His Upcoming Exhibition And Quest To Create Thought-Provoking Artworks

This work was painted in 1984, a time when 24-year-old Jean-Michel Basquiat had solo museum shows and collectors and renowned galleries worldwide clamour for his art. This particular piece draws inspiration from Old Master paintings of famous figures and demonstrates Basquiat's fascination with Picasso: it is reminiscent of the latter's Masks. The xerox papers at the bottom of the work feature flowers, referencing both the titular scientist and the artist's interest in reproducing existing images. The artwork is a powerful example of the Basquiat's ability to create heavily textured work with layers of meaning. 

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$50,000,000–70,000,000

See also: This Painting Just Sold For US$100 Million At Auction

Matthew Wong's dreamlike landscapes and still lifes have captivated art lovers worldwide. His colourful paintings reference key figures and moments in art history—from Chinese literati painting to the expressive brushwork of Vincent Van Gogh and Chaim Soutine to the gestural approach of the abstract expressionists. River at Dusk is an enthralling work depicting a romantic scene of a river at dusk. It is lined with lush foliage bathed in golden light. The artwork was created a year before Wong's passing and truly offers an immersive look into the contemplative wonderland that existed in his imagination. 

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$7,000,000–10,000,000

See also: 5 Unique Destinations To See Autumn Foliage In Asia

Alongside Yoshitomo Nara's Hothouse Doll, which is one of the main draw of the sales, is Untitled, another important work by Nara. To date, it is the largest artwork by Nara to appear at auction. The artwork is striking and flaunts the artist's signature motif of the wide-eyed child, stealing the hearts of the viewers with those glowing cosmic eyes rising out of a pool of pastel ripples. Untitled is the result of years of perfecting the subject of a lone figure, which here is rendered in exquisite detail. The artist retains the unique texture and grain of wood boards and eventually created a graphic effect that's entirely distinct from other wood board creations in both colour use and use of space. 

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$24,000,000–36,000,000

See also: This Yoshitomo Nara Painting Sold For HK$196 million At Sotheby’s Hong Kong
 

One of the most famous contemporary artists in the world, Yayoi Kusama is particularly well known for her still life paintings. Fruits [EPSOB] is a classic example of the form and also includes some of her other iconic motifs: her infinity net pattern and polka dots. The artist's lifelong fascination with the natural world began during her childhood, when she spent time in the seed-harvesting field of her family's plant nursery. Drawing inspiration from these experiences, she creates bright yet simple depictions of everyday produce.

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$7,000,000–12,000,000

See also: Museums Around The World Are Sharing Their Most “Zen” Art On Social Media

MADSAKI is best known for his Wannabe series, in which he recreates Old Master paintings using his trademark spray paint technique. If there's one artwork that best represents Henri Matisse's influence on the artist, it's Dance, which is currently housed in New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). In Dance 2, MADSAKI pays homage to the French painter by retaining the original composition and movement of Matisse's work, but executes it in his graffiti-inspired style.

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$2,000,000–3,000,000

See also: MoMA Design Store Hong Kong Launches The Record Shop

When Black and Red Could Hardly be a Circle showcases Christine Ay Tjoe's inimitable style, with shows her innate understanding of the relationship between line, space and colour. The Indonesian artist executed this artwork in 2013, a seminal year for her because it was when her style evolved from figuration to abstraction. Some of her most famous works were created that year, including the auction record-holder Small Flies and Other Wings, which was sold at Phillips in 2017. In this artwork, she retains some vestiges of figurative painting by including the same fly-like creatures that were seen in Small Flies and Other Wings, but this present work places greater emphasis on expressing pure, brute emotion in whirling streaks of colour.

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$4,000,000–6,000,000

See also: Para Site Announces A New Grant To Support Hong Kong Artists

Another artwork by Yayoi Kusama to appear in the sale is Infinity-Nets (QRTWE), an exceptional example of her celebrated series.

The Infinity Nets works cemented Kusama's place as an icon of contemporary art. This particular artwork was first unveiled at Kusama's two-part exhibition at Victoria Miro in London in 2007. It references her earliest white net paintings, which were presented at Brata Gallery in New York in the late 1950s and helped propel her to stardom.

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$15,000,000–20,000,000

See also: Heaven And Earth: Inside The Mind Of Japanese Artist Chiho Aoshima

An array of contemporary Chinese artworks will also be offered across the evening and day sales. Leading the pack is Zhang Xiaogang's Fairy Tale, an iconic work among the artist's early paintings from his Demon period. The tone of the painting is still very much filled with the sense of mystery associated with the Demon series, and its dreamy backdrop, large areas of bright colours and religious imagery highlight the sorrow and struggles Zhang explored in the early Demon works.

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$6,500,00–8,500,000

See also: What Chinese Artist Liu Xiaodong's Paintings Reveal About Migration And Community

At only 37 years old, Lucas Arruda is among Brazil's most sought-after artist and has received widespread acclaim for his landscapes and seascapes. Untitled is one of the largest pieces to appear at auction and is from the artist's Deserto-Model series. It beckons the viewer to come closer and invites them to peek into the meticulously applied brushstrokes, which bring to life a complex rendition of a horizon at the cusp of dawn or dusk. Fewer than ten Deserto-Model paintings have ever been offered at auction before, making Untitled a rare find.

Date: December 3, Evening Sale

Estimated price: HK$1,500,000–2,500,000

See also: A Rare Lot Of NASA Photographs Is Hitting The Auction Block This November

Leading the day sale of the auction is Liu Ye's Untitled (Self-Portrait), which was completed in 1997, after the artist's return from Berlin to China. It depicts a chubby toddler with a roundish head rendered in a cartoonish style.

Date: December 4, Day Sale

Estimated price: $5,000,000–7,000,000

See also: 10 Hong Kong Art Exhibitions To See November In 2020

Phillips in Association with Poly 20th Century & Contemporary Art and Design Hong Kong Sales will be held on December 3–4 at the JW Marriott. The Evening Sale will be on December 3 from 7 pm while the Day Sale will be on December 4 at 11 am.