LONDON.- A painting by acclaimed London artist Nasser Azam was sold on Friday 14th November for $332,500 in New York at Phillips de Pury’s Contemporary Art Part II auction.

Azam’s work, Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych I was the second highest bid of the day, selling for $75,000 more than the high estimate. Nasser’s work was one of yesterday’s surprise successes, fetching more than pieces by Banksy and Gilbert and George during an otherwise cautious day. Only 5.1% of works sold above their high estimate and almost half remained unsold or were withdrawn. This impressive result bucks the trend for disappointing sales at contemporary art auctions in recent weeks.

Azam broke new ground with Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych I; the first painting ever to have been made in a zero gravity environment. The piece was created as part of the pioneering ‘Life in Space’ project directed by Nasser Azam in July 2008, and conducted from Moscow’s Star City. Azam is currently Artist-in-Residence at County Hall Gallery, on the South Bank, where this work - with Homage to Francis Bacon: Triptych II, also created during the flight - will be temporarily displayed from 16th January 2009 alongside other new Azam works.

The triptych is a unique performance painting, documenting a specific zero gravity experience as well as further developing the key elements of painting which Azam continues to explore in his work; colour, movement and line. Azam was inspired by his appreciation of Francis Bacon’s work, and produced his homage, which reflects both Bacon’s monumental contribution to art and his continuing relevance for the contemporary art world.

Azam is Artist-in-Residence at the County Hall Gallery in London. His work is included in leading contemporary art collections, and he has exhibited both nationally and internationally.