Basquiat's 'Warrior' Becomes Most Expensive Western Art in Asia
Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1982 painting 'Warrior' sold for HK$ 323.6 million (€35 million) at Christie's Hong Kong, setting a record as the most expensive Western artwork ever sold in Asia. The piece, measuring 183×122 cm on a wood panel, depicts a warrior wielding a sword. It was first exhibited at Akira Ikeda Gallery in Tokyo in 1983 and later at the Brant Foundation Art Study Center in New York in 2019. The sale is part of Christie's strategy to boost American and European contemporary art in Asia, following strong 2020 sales in the region including works by Gerhard Richter, George Condo, and Nicholas Party. Notably, a Japanese collector Yusaku Maezawa purchased Basquiat's 'Untitled' (1982) for $110.5 million at Sotheby's New York in 2017.
Key facts
- Basquiat's 'Warrior' sold for HK$ 323.6 million (€35 million) at Christie's Hong Kong.
- The painting is from 1982, Basquiat's most prolific period.
- It measures 183×122 cm and is painted on a wood panel.
- First exhibited at Akira Ikeda Gallery in Tokyo in 1983.
- Also shown at Brant Foundation Art Study Center in New York in 2019.
- It is the most expensive Western artwork ever sold in Asia.
- Christie's strategy targets growing Asian interest in Western contemporary art.
- Yusaku Maezawa bought a Basquiat 'Untitled' (1982) for $110.5 million in 2017.
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Al Diaz
- Gerhard Richter
- George Condo
- Nicholas Party
- Shara Hughes
- Dana Schutz
- Yusaku Maezawa
Institutions
- Christie's
- Akira Ikeda Gallery
- Brant Foundation Art Study Center
- MoMA PS1
- Documenta 7
- Sotheby's
- Artribune
Locations
- Hong Kong
- China
- Tokyo
- Japan
- New York
- United States
- Kassel
- Germany