Mixed media sculpture

25 x 14.8 x 11.5 cm. 9 7/8 × 5 7/8 × 4 1/2 in. (酒瓶);16 x Dia.8 cm. 6 1/4 × Dia.3 1/8 in. (酒杯)

Signed in English an dated on the bottom of the bottle
PROVENANCE
19 May 2012, United Asian Hong Kong Auctioneers, Lot 24
Important Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by a registration card issued by Yayoi Kusama studio

Carpe Diem!
A Yayoi Kusama's Rare and Exemplary Sculptural Masterpiece from the 1980s

Damien Hirst: “Do you perceive yourself more as a chromatic virtuoso, a painter, an artist, or a sculptor?”
Yayoi Kusama: “I perceive myself as more of a sculptor.”

Over the past 80 years, Yayoi Kusama has wholeheartedly dedicated herself to artistic creation, exploring a diverse range of expressive mediums including painting, collage, sculpture, film, performance, installation, and even novel writing. This multifaceted journey reflects the brilliant life of a prolific and gifted creator. Growing up in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in the post-World War II era when Japan was striving to rebuild its society economically and culturally, she diligently honed her artistic skills. In the early 1960s, during her initial years in the United States, her works were exhibited alongside renowned figures such as Donald Judd and Andy Warhol, shining amidst an American art scene dominated by white male voices. In the 1970s, she boldly engaged in various body-centric performance arts, delving into themes of identity, anti-war sentiment, and feminism. Upon her return to Tokyo, starting in the 1980s, she seamlessly merged diverse media such as painting, sculpture, and installation, showcasing her abundant world of creativity. The presented piece, Untitled, completed in 1983, embodies Kusama's unique contemplation of life through its distinct form.

The Song of Dionysus: The Radiant Chalice of Grape Nectar

Untitled cleverly consists of two sculptural components - a wine bottle and a wine glass. The bottle narrows at the neck while maintaining a solid and weighty body, with bountiful grapes symbolizing abundance and prosperity growing along its edges. The smaller wine glass, with a shape widening at the top and narrowing towards the bottom, also features grape clusters at the rim and base, creating a harmonious connection with the wine bottle. This creative theme evokes associations with the renowned masterpiece Bacchus by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo da Caravaggio. In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, the god of wine, Dionysus, was seen as a symbol of celebration. The sweetness and juiciness of grapes, the intoxicating effect of alcohol, and the allure and indulgence associated with them were all embraced to revel in the most fulfilling and abundant moments of life. In the East, there is also the poetic line “the radiant chalice of grape nectar,” symbolizing the joy of drinking to the fullest, celebrating life's triumphs with utmost gusto. This artwork also resonates with Yayoi Kusama's personal artistic journey. Just before creating Untitled, she held solo exhibitions at Kikusui Gallery in Boston and the Fuji Television Gallery in Tokyo. The following year, she was invited to exhibit in Milan, The Hague, and other places, leaving her footprints across three continents, earning growing acclaim and reaching new heights in both Eastern and Western worlds. The grapes and wine, symbolizing “hope” and “harvest,” found in Untitled, depict her recognized career and the gradual improvement in her personal life.

Entwined Roots: The Quest for Self-Identity

In terms of its artistic language, the artist deliberately connects the two main elements with a slender and elongated “vine,” delicately adorned with tiny branches and leaves. Together with the lush grapes, they construct an organic environment, infusing life into these simple objects. The bottle, carrying the wine, acts as a “womb,” intricately connected to its “offspring” - the wine glass. Nurtured within the womb, the wine glass thrives and blossoms with succulent grapes. The vine can be perceived as the “umbilical cord of life,” tightly linking the two, depicting the marvellous process of human development from cellular inception and reproduction to the growth of life. The artwork seeks to evoke attention to “body” and “feminism” in the conservative Japanese art scene of that time.

Enchanting Radiance: The Ultimate Power of Growth

Untitled is predominantly rendered in a vibrant peacock green monochrome, emphasizing its organic and botanical nature. The entire surface is sprinkled with shimmering silver powder, as if bestowing upon it an unreal and powerful energy. It not only showcases a vibrant aesthetic but also, through its sparkling visual experience, sings a hymn to life. The shapes of the wine glass and bottle, formed through the artist's hand moulding and firing techniques, exhibit slight irregularities, further embodying the concept that life, though imperfect, is unique and precious, with each soul being one of a kind.

Price estimate:
HKD 900,000 – 1,500,000
USD 115,400 – 192,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 960,000