Yoshitomo Nara's 'Words Mean Nothing at All' Leads Bonhams New York Evening Sale
On May 20, Bonhams will present Yoshitomo Nara's significant artwork 'Words Mean Nothing at All' as the centerpiece of its 20th & 21st Century Art Evening Sale, held at the auction house's new U.S. flagship located at 111 West 57th Street, New York. This 2012 piece, valued between $4–6 million, was created in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, a time of deep personal and artistic reflection for Nara. The painting features his signature elements—a solitary girl, a tree, fragments of text, birds, mountains, and a four-leaf clover—delving into themes of memory, isolation, and the constraints of language. Another notable piece in the auction is 'La Muse endormie II'.
Key facts
- Yoshitomo Nara's 'Words Mean Nothing at All' leads Bonhams 20th & 21st Century Art Evening Sale
- Sale date: May 20
- Location: Bonhams new U.S. flagship at 111 West 57th Street, New York
- Estimate: $4,000,000 – 6,000,000
- Painting executed in 2012
- Created one year after the Great East Japan Earthquake
- Features motifs: solitary girl, tree, text, birds, mountains, four-leaf clover
- Another highlight: 'La Muse endormie II'
Entities
Artists
- Yoshitomo Nara
Institutions
- Bonhams
Locations
- New York
- United States
- 111 West 57th Street