Christie’s announces online-only auction ‘Handpicked: 100 Artists Selected by the Saatchi Gallery’

LONDON.- Handpicked: 100 Artists Selected by the Saatchi Gallery is Christie’s fourth in a series of collaborative auctions with the Saatchi Gallery. For the latest edition, the auction will move to an online-only platform, affording collectors globally with an opportunity to acquire works of art from their home. Each piece has been selected to reflect the Saatchi Gallery’s role in cultivating artists at the beginning of their career, providing insight into one of the most prestigious international collections. Estimates range from £1,000-15,000, attractive price points for seasoned and entry-level collectors alike. Handpicked: 100 Artists Selected by the Saatchi Gallery will be open for bidding from 12 to 28 May 2020.

Peter Davies paints transient pop-cultural information systems – lists, charts, bylines – in the slick, clean, high-art tradition of minimalist painting. The Redundancy of Ideology (2008, estimate: £6,000-8,000) splices culturally appropriated imagery with religious iconography and advertising slogans, making redundant the original message these familiar images conveyed.

Mequitta Ahuja fluently appropriates ancient works of myth and legend. These sources are woven into a pictorial style that is both autobiographical and trans-cultural; the figures are often self-portraits rendered in a process she names autocartography as exemplified in the present work Autocartography I (2012, estimate: £12,000-18,000).

Sigrid Holmwood’s Swedish scenes were often developed from sketches she made of the interpreters at the Skansen Museum on the island Djurgården in Stockholm. Mother and Child (2007, estimate: £3,000-5,000) is a portrait of a woman taking part in a live diorama in a house representing the area of Darlarna.

Julia Wachtel is heavily influenced by Andy Warhol, a prevalence in her oeuvre that has been accelerated by the internet’s quicksilver exchange of images and the blossoming of celebrity culture. Landscape No. 19 (Witness) (2014, estimate: £10,000-15,000) depicts a grainy black and white crowd scene overlain with panels of pop colour which are punctuated by an invading cartoon character.

Katharine Arnold, Co-Head, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Europe, Christie’s: “Christie’s and the Saatchi Gallery have enjoyed a close collaborative relationship for a number of years and our fourth dedicated Handpicked auction of 100 works from the collection will be offered online-only in May. This allows us to showcase these emerging artists to a global audience who can view and bid for works from the comfort of their home, something which resonates globally at present. Over several decades The Saatchi Gallery has played a key role in supporting new talent, inspiring collectors, curators and gallerists alike, and this is an opportunity to gain insight into their collecting strategy and acquire a piece of their unique art history. ‘Handpicked: 100 Artists Selected by the Saatchi Gallery’ is an auction for the curious; for those who wish to build their own collection and for those keen to explore artists early in their career. We look forward to welcoming existing and new clients alike to our virtual platform.”

The Saatchi Gallery commented: “The Saatchi Gallery is delighted to be working with Christie’s to curate an inspiring selection from exciting talents, who have featured in Saatchi Gallery exhibitions in recent years. We love to showcase our artists and enjoy watching them grow to have successful international careers, and Handpicked is the perfect platform to present them.”