FULL CIRCLE YOSHIHARA JIRO COLLECTION

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1 Press Release Hong Kong Hong Kong Ruby Hung New York Dan Abernethy London Matthew Floris Sotheby s Presents FULL CIRCLE YOSHIHARA JIRO COLLECTION At the Contemporary Asian Art Autumn Sale 2015 Featuring Over 20 Fresh-to-Market s from the Celebrated Gutai Founder s Personal Collection Auction 5 October Hong Kong Public Preview September Singapore September Taipei 2 5 October Hong Kong For Immediate Release Don t imitate others! Do what has never been done before!

2 Hong Kong, 31 July 2015 Sotheby s is honoured to present Full Circle Collection, the first dedicated sale of works from the collection ever to appear on the market. Part of the forthcoming Hong Kong Autumn Sales 2015, this assemblage features works of art both created and coveted by Yoshihara, the celebrated founder of Japan s 20th-century avant-garde Gutai movement and a towering figure of post-war art history. The sale includes more than 20 pieces of Yoshihara s original canvas, paper and ceramic works many of them from his iconic Circle series, in addition to the late master s collection of a Shiraga Kazuo painting. Previously in the artist s personal collection, these works possess impeccable provenance, having never before been presented to the public. Full Circle offers an unprecedented opportunity to understand and acquire important works exploring the contemporary master s four decades of creation. Evelyn Lin, Head of Contemporary Asian Art, Sotheby s, says: Following the strong results achieved for works by Gutai artists in Sotheby s salerooms, including the record-breaking price achieved for Shiraga Kazuo, Sotheby s is excited to present a dedicated collection of works from legendary Gutai founder, for the first time at auction. Dating from the mid-1930s to the early-1970s, Full Circle encompasses a comprehensive array of works rarely seen on the market, showcasing Yoshihara s immaculate art, vision and taste, as well as his exploration on the circle motif in the later stage of his artistic career. At a time when Gutai has received much international acclaim on its art-historical contributions, we look forward to presenting the collection this autumn, as a much deserved tribute to the contemporary master., Gutai and Circle Born in Osaka, Japan, ( ) is the father of Gutai, an avant-garde art association he founded in 1954 that made major contributions to global art history of the post-war decades over its 18-year history. Not only as the leader but also a contributing member of Gutai, Yoshihara devised the enduring signature Circle in the mid-1960s, which stands out as his most significant achievement in post-war abstraction worldwide. In 1955, just one year after Gutai was established, the group forayed into the international art scene via its eponymous journal Gutai 1, calling on the Western world for artistic exchange. In 1956, Yoshihara authored the Gutai Art Manifesto, defining the terms of engagement with the spirit, the body, and matter in new art. An experimentalist who was determined to revolutionise the post-war art world, Yoshihara pioneered the Gutai group with a vision of bringing it to the international stage, positioning it as an international common ground for avant-garde art. As an individual artist, Yoshihara developed the representative Circle series works of large calligraphic circles painted on rich monochrome backgrounds of red, white and black that draw inspiration from Zen calligraphy, and bring to mind some similarities with the Western concept of geometric abstraction and the action paintings of American artist Jackson Pollock. (Image courtesy of Tokyo Gallery + BTAP) 2

3 s (1971), at the Hakusasonso Garden and Museum, Kyoto, Japan Recently, I drew mostly circles Therein lies an infinite possibility left unknown, lurking from a bottomless pit. Auction Highlights Full Circle Collection presents an extremely rare assemblage of more than 20 fresh-to-market works spanning Yoshihara s oeuvre, many featuring his renowned Circle motif. (1971, lot 4) depicts a thick white ring demarcated by two occasionally and slightly bumpy circumferences, inside and outside, on a black background. Yoshihara capitalised on acrylic paint s flat nature, carefully layering colour to create a hard-edged form, yet the shape of the circle was never predetermined. Subtly pulsating circumferences are likewise visible in (circa 1970, lot 3), a red-on-gold piece. The collection also offers early works of Yoshihara exploring the Circle, including a more textured oil-on-canvas board piece (, circa , lot 1) depicting a modest red-on-white circle in comparable levity, as well as an off-centre blue-on-white circle work on paper (, circa 1971, lot 2). 3

4 Lot 3 Circa 1970 Acrylic on canvas 46 x 53.5 cm Est. HK$700, million / US$ 90, ,000* Lot 1 Circa Oil on canvas board 33.5 x 24.3 cm Est. HK$250, ,000 / US$ 32,300 45,200 Lot Acrylic on canvas 45.6 x 53 cm Est. HK$1 2 million / US$129, ,000 Lot 2 Circa 1971 Gouache on paper 26 x 35.5 cm Est. HK$120, ,000/ US$15,500 23,300 4

5 About Gutai Founded by Yoshihara in 1954, Gutai has experienced a surge of international attention in recent years, with curated exhibitions and retrospectives held at major museums worldwide placing spotlight on the art movement. Meaning concreteness, Gutai is synonymous with an uncompromising dedication to challenging convention, advocating an arts revival in a post-war period when new forms such as abstraction symbolised a momentous departure from wartime totalitarianism. Gutai artists created and chronicled a critical moment in both national and international post-war art history through multimedia installations, performances and theatrical events. In 1972, the group disbanded when Yoshihara passed away, although members continued to create visually stunning works writhing with energy and vigour. NOTES TO EDITORS I) SOTHEBY'S HONG KONG AUTUMN SALES 2015 CALENDAR (The schedule is subject to change) Auction Category 3 October Wine 4 October Wine Modern And Contemporary Asian Art Evening Sale (Modern Asian Art, Contemporary Asian Art and Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art) 5 October Classical Chinese Paintings Contemporary Literati Modern And Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Day Sale Full Circle Collection Contemporary Asian Art Day Sale Modern Asian Art Day Sale 6 October Fine Chinese Paintings Important Watches 7 October Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Chinese s of Art HONG KONG EXHIBITION AND AUCTION VENUE: Hall 3, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (New Wing), 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong II) ASIA TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS CALENDAR Date City Venue September Singapore The Regent September Taipei Hua Nan Bank International Convention Center III) FOR MORE NEWS FROM SOTHEBY S Visit: Follow: & & WeChat (ID: sothebyshongkong) Join: Watch: Sotheby s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since Sotheby s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby s presents auctions in nine different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby s BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from anywhere in the world. Sotheby s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby s Financial Services, the world s only full-service art financing company, as well as private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S 2, the gallery arm of Sotheby's Contemporary Art department, and two retail businesses, Sotheby s Diamonds and Sotheby s Wine. Sotheby s has a global network of 90 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID). * Estimates do not include buyer s premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer s premium. Images are available upon request All catalogues are available online at or through Sotheby s Catalogue ipad App 5