Art News: Christies NY Announces Lineup for Fall Asia Week

Bhupen Khakhar Francis Newton Souza India Rising Aicon Gallery to Relocate to Lower East Side Indian Art Soars, Russian Art Disappoints at Christie's Asia Week London Dealer Must Return Souzas Bought "in Good Faith" Bonhams Holds First Middle East Auction

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As part of New York Asia Week, Christie's will host four sales of Eastern art from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21. One of those sales, for modern and contemporary Indian art, is expected to realize at least $12 million alone.

During the spring 2006 season, Christie’s saw a tremendous response for the work of 20th- and 21st-century Indian artists, the auction house said. Its sales in New York, Hong Kong and Dubai together totaled more than $26 million.

This year’s sale, scheduled for the morning of Sept. 20, will offer paintings by many of India’s up-and-coming talents—Akbar Padamsee, Syed Haider Raza, Bhupen Khakhar and Arpita Singh—among others.

A large work by Tyeb Mehta, Untitled (Figures with Bull Head), circa 1984, should be the big-ticket item, with a pre-sale estimate of $800,000-$1 million. Other lots of interest include two Untitled works by V.S. Gaitonde, both estimated at $500,000-$700,000; and Francis Newton Souza’s monumental Negress with Flowers and Thorns, estimated at $400,000-$600,000.

Christie's kicks off its Asia Week sales Sept. 19 with a sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, which brings together nearly 450 Buddhist sculptures, bronzes, ceramics, furniture and paintings.

Two rare highlights of the sale are an early 2nd-century B.C. jade beaker (est. $500,000-$600,000) from the collection of Stephen Junkunk III; and a 12th-century, painted wood figure of a Bodhisattva (est. $600,000-$800,000) from the collection of Francisco Capelo.

On the afternoon of Sept. 20, Christie’s will offer a second auction of classic art from India and Southeast Asia, including Indian bronze and stone sculpture, Gandharan statues and Tibetan ritual objects.

Its final sale on Sept. 21 will be devoted to Japanese and Korean art in all the traditional collecting segments. Besides offering works of art in all traditional collecting segments, the Japanese section of the sale will be headed by a rare 13th-century wood sculpture of a Guardian. The Korean portion’s focal point will be modern and contemporary art by such sought-after artists as Kand Ik-joong, Hoon Kwak and Byun Chonggon.