RARE RED KUSAMA PUMPKIN ACHIEVES HK$22 MILLION Headlines White-Glove Single-Owner Sale at Bonhams Hong Kong
Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin, 2000, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 72 cm, sold for HK$22,234,000 (estimate: HK$15,000,000 – 25,000,000)
Hong Kong —Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin (2000), a rare red example of the artist’s celebrated motif, achieved HK$22,234,000 at Bonhams Hong Kong, leading the white-glove saleMORE THAN RED: A Single-Owner Collection of Exceptional Works by Yayoi Kusama on 28 March, with all six works sold.
Marcello Kwan, Bonhams’ Head of Modern and Contemporary Art, Asia,commented: “The strong result achieved reflects the continued global strength of the Kusama market. Bonhams was privileged to present this tightly curated group of six works and to witness robust interest from collectors across Asia, the United States and Europe—underscoring the sustained appetite for rare, high-quality works fresh to the market.”
Auction Preview of MORE THAN RED: A Single-Owner Collection of Exceptional Works by Yayoi Kusama
Red examples of the pumpkin motif are comparatively rare, and this visually striking work, Pumpkin (2000), drew spirited bidding in the saleroom. By the time she rose to prominence in New York in the 1960s, Kusama had established colour as an independent visual language. For Kusama, red holds profound personal significance—a direct manifestation of her internal landscape, rooted in childhood hallucinations and early experiences of self-obliteration. These visual experiences—particularly the endlessly proliferating polka dots and net structures—became a defining force in her practice.
The pumpkin, her most recognisable motif, serves as the artist’s spiritual symbol and alter ego, bridging childhood memory and the infinite universe. Each pumpkin is a distinct entity, varying subtly in form and presence, reflecting the artist’s state of mind at the moment of creation.
Auction results can be found here.
About The Bonhams Network
Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.
Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement.
In 2023, Bonhams achieved 14% growth with $1.14 billion in turnover. Recent important auctions and landmark single-owner collections, include the white glove sales of Sir Michael Caine: The Personal Collection, Alain Delon: Sixty Years of Passion; Sir Roger Moore: The Personal Collection; Personal Property of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and The Robert & Jean-Pierre Rousset Collection of Asian Art: A Century of Collecting. Other notable single-owner sales included The Estate of Barbara Walters: American Icon; The Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; The Crown Auction: Props and Costumes and The Claude de Marteau Collection.
Top lots for 2023 include 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta, Sold at Quail Lodge, US for US$30,255,000. Tipu Sultan’s Bedchamber Sword (sold in London for £14m – a world record for both an Islamic and an Indian object); Paul Signac (1863-1935), Sisteron, 1902. Sold for US$8,580,000 (estimate US$4-6 million), and Claude Monet (1840-1926), La Seine près de Giverny, 1888. Sold for US$6,352,500 (estimate US$4-6m), both from the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; A Gilt Copper Alloy figure of Virupaksha, Central Tibet, Densatil Monastery, Early 15th century. Sold for HK$37.9m (£4,060,326) in Hong Kong. Yoshitomo Nara (born 1959) Three Stars. Sold for HK$36,754,000 (£3,930,914), also in Hong Kong.
For more information about these auctions and others featured By Bonhams, please visit their site. Bonhams can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Pinterest.
