HONG KONG.- Commenting on the Evening Sale, Kevin Ching, Chief Executive Officer of Sotheby’s Asia, says: “Collectors from around the world competed vigorously for paintings assembled from private collections by Sotheby’s global network of specialists, causing records to tumble in tonight’s Modern and Contemporary Asian Art – Evening Sale. While bidding on the selection of highly desirable works was truly global, Asian collectors walked away with most of the top pieces. Seven bidders competed in an extended contest for Potted Chrysanthemums, a previously unrecorded painting by modern Chinese master Sanyu, achieving the second highest price for the artist at auction. There was active competition from five bidders for the most important work from Zhang Xiaogang’s Bloodline Series, which once again set a record for the artist, six years after it did so at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2008**. Sotheby’s reaffirmed our dominance in the category of Southeast Asian Paintings when a patriotic masterpiece by modern Indonesian artist S. Sudjojono set a record for Southeast Asian Art after lengthy competition from multiple bidders. The price was one of six records set in the category this evening.”

Bloodline: Big Family No. 3 established an auction record for Zhang Xiaogang in 2008 at HK$47,367,500 / US$6,072,756. This record was since broken by Chapter of a New Century – Birth of the People’s Republic of China II (Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Autumn 2010, HK$52,180,000 / US$6,689,744) and Forever Lasting Love (Triptych) (Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Spring 2011, HK$79,060,000 / US$10,135,897).

WORLD AUCTION RECORDS FOR ARTISTS
CHINESE ARTIST
Zhang Xiaogang (b.1958)
Bloodline: Big Family No. 3
1995, Oil on canvas, 179 x 229 cm
Est. HK$65 – 80 million / US$8.3 – 10.3 million
Sold for HK$94.2 million / US$12.1 million

JAPANESE ARTIST
Yoshitomo Nara (b.1959)
Night Walker
2001, Acrylic on canvas, 227 x 181 cm
Est. HK$10 – 15 million / US$1.3 – 1.9 million
Sold for HK$15.64 million / US$2 million

SOUTHEAST ASIAN ARTISTS
S. Sudjojono (1914-1986)
Pasukan Kita Yang Dipimpin Pangeran Diponegoro (Our Soldiers Led Under Prince Diponegoro)
1979, Oil on canvas, 100 x 199.5 cm
Estimate in excess of HK$20 million / US$2.5 million
Sold for HK$58.36 million / US$7.5 million
*Also World Auction Record For Any Southeast Asian Art*

Sudjana Kerton (1922 – 1994)
Village Life
1981, Oil on canvas, 150 x 200.5 cm
Est. HK$ 5 – 7 million / US$644,000 – 900,000
Sold for HK$13.24 million / US$1.7 million

Romualdo Frederico Locatelli (1905-1943) Portrait Of A Nude
Circa 1940s, Oil on canvas mounted on board, 136.5 x 94 cm Est. HK$1.6 – 2.5 million / US$207,000 – 323,000
Sold for HK$7 million / US$897,000

Ay Tjoe Christine (b. 1973)
Layer as a Hiding Place
2013, Oil on canvas, 180 x 200 cm
Est. HK$480,000 – 680,000 / US$62,000 – 88,000
Sold for HK$4.6 million / US$590,000

But Mochtar (1930-1993) Patung Elemen Estetik (Study Of Esthetic Principles)
Circa 1970s, Copper, Sculpture: 118.5 x 108 x 40 cm; Base: 13.5 x 100.5 x 41 cm
Est. HK$500,000 – 700,000 / US$65,000 – 90,000
Sold for HK$3.64 million / US$467,000

Le Pho (1907-2001) Maternité (Maternity)
Circa 1938 – 1945, Ink and gouache on silk, 69 x 50 cm Est. HK$700,000 – 900,000 / US$90,500 – 117, 000
Sold for HK$3.04 million / US$390,000

UPCOMING AUCTIONS ON 6 APRIL
The sales of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings (10am), Contemporary Asian Art (2pm) and 20th Century Chinese Art (3pm) will take place tomorrow at Hall 5, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.