Lot  066 Ravenel Spring Auction 2023

Ravenel Spring Auction 2023

Untitled

Yoshitomo NARA (Japanese, 1959)

1994

Acrylic on paper

47 x 33.5 cm

Estimate

TWD 3,800,000-5,500,000

HKD 987,000-1,429,000

USD 126,000-182,300

CNY 864,000-1,250,000

Sold Price

TWD 4,320,000

HKD 1,104,859

USD 140,900

CNY 997,691


Signature

Signed lower left Na in Japanese
Dated lower right 94

PROVENANCE
Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo

ILLUSTRATED
Yoshitomo Nara: The Complete Works Volume2, Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, 2011, color illustrated, p. 73

+ OVERVIEW

"Untitled" by Yoshitomo Nara was created during his period of studying abroad in Germany. Throughout his various series of works, this marks an important stage in Nara's artistic career. In 1993, he graduated from the world renowned Dusseldorf Art Academy. In the two years before and after his graduation, Nara created a series of works featuring close-ups of little girl's heads. Whether it was the later work "Chinese Girl on the Dish" or the large-scale work "Lamp Flower Girl" the artist focused on the details of the doll's head in his creations."

"Untitled" by Yoshitomo Nara depicts the momentary expression of a little girl through simple imagery and distinct contours. The round bubblegum breaks the single composition, while the bright blue color adds liveliness to the entire painting. This work marks a departure from the artist's tense mindset during his time in Germany, characterized by vigilance, confusion, and helplessness, and depicts the artist's solo wandering in a foreign land. It was during this year after graduation that Nara began to reexamine himself. During his period of study abroad, Yoshitomo Nara's strong sense of loneliness served as a source of inspiration for his artwork. His works reflect a strong sense of self awareness and often portray multiple anxieties. However, in this particular piece, a girl chewing gum and blowing a big bubble, the child's image stands quietly in the center with closed eyes, revealing a sense of calm and composure between the eyebrows, as if everything around her is irrelevant and she is unfazed by worldly affairs. With eyes closed, she lets go of all her defenses and faces everything calmly. The rhythmic atmosphere in the painting conveys a sense of tranquility and a peaceful mind. After graduation, Nara's career as a professional artist truly began as he wandered between Eastern and Western visual cultures.
Related Info

Select: Modern & Contemporary Art

Ravenel Spring Auction 2023

Saturday, June 3, 2023, 4:00pm