Lot  118 Ravenel Spring Auction 2019 Taipei

Ravenel Spring Auction 2019 Taipei

Pumpkin

Yayoi KUSAMA (Japanese, 1929)

1991

Mixed media, unique

17(H) x 25.5(diameter) cm

Estimate

TWD 11,000,000-18,000,000

HKD 2,806,000-4,592,000

USD 358,300-586,300

CNY 2,412,000-3,947,000

Sold Price

TWD 19,200,000

HKD 4,764,267

USD 607,594

CNY 4,210,526


Signature

Signed on the bottom YAYOI KUSAMA in English, dated 1991 and titled Pumpkin in Japanese, A Pumpkin in English
This sculpture is to be sold with a registration card issued by Yayoi Kusama Studio

+ OVERVIEW

"When you are holding a pumpkin in your lap, you will remember the memories of a distant childhood. The shape of the pumpkin can always soothe my soul, no matter how hard the heart is, I can be comforted." From the artist's self-report, we know that when her body and mind are suffering, Kusama receives a strong sense of spiritual stability from the process of painting or kneading the pumpkin, as the "pumpkin" itself is so pleasing and energetic. At the same time, because of the strong feeling of the spiritual connection with the artist and the appearance of auspiciousness, in the long creative life of Kusama, "Pumpkin" has always been a representative icon and an important totem beloved of collectors. The 80s to the 90s was an important period for the creation of pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama. This piece was round and sleek. It was carefully kneaded by both hands and arranged in a brush. The three-dimensional work of "Pumpkin" with yellow dots on a yellow background was from an era when she devoted herself to creation. "When I saw the dots, my eyes sparkled and I was deeply touched by the painting process." Although Yayoi, who had returned to Japan at that time, had been in a nursing home for some time and getting on in years, her exuberant creative energy had not diminished in the least. If we as viewers set our mind and carefully stare at the three-dimensional sculpture in front of us, the handpainted, different-sized polka dots, delicately arranged after meticulous consideration, are densely and orderly spread out in the three-dimensional space. It is clear that the piece is shaped by the artist's hands and must pass through an incalculable ceramic firing process. The finished body is a perfect shape of left and right symmetry. Among them, there is a creative creation obsession with Yayoi Kusama. "If it wasn't for art, I would have committed suicide by now." Because of the art that has been loved for many years and memories from childhood, when her spirits were in their most difficult state, "Pumpkin" has become an important thing that has saved the artist's life. When we look at the pumpkin quietly, it seems that we can really return to the time-space background of Yayoi Kusama, and the life she has redeemed for art.
Related Info

Modern & Contemporary Asian Art

Ravenel Spring Auction 2019 Taipei

Sunday, June 2, 2019, 2:00pm