Art advisor Angela Gulbenkian denies theft charges involving Yayoi Kusama works

Last week, Angela Gulbenkian, an art advisor from Germany and spouse of a Gulbenkian family member, entered a not guilty plea to two counts of theft at Southwark Court in London. The first charge pertains to £1,061,484 that Mathieu Ticolat of Art Incorporated Limited in Hong Kong sent for a 2012 Yayoi Kusama sculpture, which was never received despite existing documentation. The second charge involves £50,000 related to Kusama's Yellow Pumpkin, which was promised to Jacqui Ball. Ticolat mentioned he had no prior dealings with Gulbenkian but felt assured due to her family name. The Gulbenkian Foundation in Portugal clarified that she is not affiliated with them. On September 11, 2019, Gulbenkian was released on bail and departed in a black Mercedes with a chauffeur.