Acrylic on wood mounted canvas (A) and wristwatch (B) Edition: 24/30 (B)

直徑 17 × 6 cm. 直徑 6 3/4 × 2 3/8 in. (A); 23 × 3.3 × 1.8 cm. 9 × 1 1/4 × 3/4 in.(B)

A: Signed in English on the bottom
EXHIBITED
1-28 Nov 1996, Art on a Diet Art Design Exhibition, JR Service Gallery, Osaka
9-24 Dec 1996, Art on a Diet Art Design Exhibition, Gallery Seira, Tokyo

PROVENANCE
3 Oct 2018, Council Hong Kong Autumn Auction, Lot 101
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

A is accompanied by a registration card issued by Yayoi Kusama studio

Note: This is the original painted prototype of wristwatch design (A) and the watch product (B) for Tangent in 1996 made by Yayoi Kusama, who was invited as 1 of the 100 artists to participate the event

Elegant Spring, Fruitful Autumn; Brilliance Perpetually Shining
Debuting Yayoi Kusama's One of a Kind Pumpkin and Design Watch

“Yayoi Kusama has been hiding in an unbeknown Infinite World for a long time and now she has finally got to the place she deserves!”

The above is an extract from New York's Timeout magazine in 1996. Yayoi Kusama returned to New York for the second time from her hometown in that year. She held exhibitions at Paula Cooper Gallery and Robert Miller Gallery in New York. The Artists Critics Union commended it as the “Best Gallery Exhibition 1995-1996”, establishing her supreme status as a pioneering international artist. Kusama has been keen on cross-border cooperation since the 1960s, and is committed to conveying her artistic ideas to people from different sectors and preferences. Louis Vuitton collaborated with her on a series of boutique designs. In 2020, she collaborated with the champagne brand Dom Perignon and executed limited edition champagne, showcasing her creative energy and passion for breaking through barriers in the art world. In this auction, we present one of the first works of her art career - a cross-border collaboration with fashion industry - a watch designed by Tangent and its prototype painting Pumpkin and Design Watch (Set of two pieces). The set was completed in 1996 when Kusama embraced her international spotlight. She brought together her most classic pumpkin images and dot elements in the work. Between the repeated and overlapping dots and lines, she conveys the mystery of the flow of time and manifests her worldviews during the brightest moments of her life.

The Sound of Raindrops Falling on Lotus Leaves; The Sound of the Ticking Watch

The round pumpkin is like an expanded sphere in the circular space of the dial on the watch, showing the fullness and abundance of life. Resting on a yellow background, small, medium-sized dots, and large semi-circles are vertically arranged in a rounded arc. A repetition of the same sequence is repeated on the circular body of the pumpkin surface, which features an uneven texture, producing a rippling and erratic sense of expansion. The pedicel of the pumpkin becomes the only visual element in the picture that breaks the rules. Like a black cover, it stabilizes the expanding body of the pumpkin, bringing a delicate balance between movement and stillness.

Enter the World of Pumpkins

In 1973, Yayoi Kusama returned to Japan from New York for treatment due to her aggravating health condition. She worked in the studio during the day and rested at the sanatorium at night. The Pumpkin series of which the Pumpkin and Design Watch (Set of two piece) are created in 1996, belongs to this period. Pumpkin is an important recurring theme of her works created in the period. Throughout Kusama's life, the theme has become her most popular creative expression. Different from the pumpkins depicted in her other works, this work does not fully depict the overall shape of pumpkins, but simply depicts one perspective of the pumpkin at a close distance. Enlarging that particular perspective, the circular space is full and plump. The image encourages the viewer to leave behind the role of the outsider and to enter the mysterious pumpkin world. This special composition is not only unique on the market, but also prompts viewers to understand the artist's strong and persistent artistic sentiment which contains multiple dimensions. Her artistic sentiment is built upon the delicacy of two-dimensional painting and the spatiality of three-dimensional installation work. Viewers are immersed and dissolved in the changes happening in her artwork.

Extinct from the Market, the Perfect Combination of Art and Fashion

“I think fashion is important for human beings because people can feel happiness and excitement from fashion.”

――Yayoi Kusama

In the same year of 1996, Pumpkin was featured in 30 limited-edition watches, one of which is the Design Watch (24/30) presented in the set here. This watch produced by Tangent Company is Kusama's first collaboration with fashion brands. It is a success and represents her grand ambition to share her artistic concepts to the world. As a famous artist, her collaboration with the fashion brand is an assurance of the endless possibilities in the enterprise of combining business and art. Her outstanding ability to enter the business market without compromising her unique artistry and originality is embraced by the public. The Pumpkin and Design Watch is enthusiastically sought after by Kusama's fans as soon as it debuted. It has disappeared from the second-hand market for many years. Therefore, it is a rare sight for the watch to appear together with its original painting. The two pieces were exhibited together for the first time in the “Art of a Diet” art tour exhibition in Tokyo and Osaka in 1996. In addition to the commercial market, they have also attracted the attention and recognition of the art world, making Pumpkin and Design Watch (Set of two pieces) extremely meaningful.

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,200,000 - 2,500,000
USD: 152,900 - 318,500

Auction Result:
HKD: 2,400,000