Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “Warrior” Comes to Auction in Hong Kong

“I want to make paintings that look as if they were made by a child.” These words by Jean-Michel Basquiat are reflected in his painting Warrior, created at the peak of his artistic career. We Are All Warriors – The Basquiat Auction, presented by Christie’s Hong Kong, will feature Warrior by Jean-Michel Basquiat on March 23rd, 2021. Along with its rarity, the artwork is also one of the highest-valued Western paintings ever presented in an Asian auction.

Jean-Michel Basquiat was a famous American artist who elevated graffiti art and introduced it to New York galleries. His works reference his Puerto Rican and Haitian heritage and emphasize pop-culture, Biblical verses, and political issues. The price of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings keeps increasing at auction. Particularly, paintings created in 1982 often earn record-breaking prices. One prominent example is an untitled 1982 artwork featuring a black skull, which sold in a 2017 Sotheby’s auction for USD110.5 million.

This year, one more painting from Basquiat’s 1982 artworks will be available at Christie’s landmark auction in Hong Kong. The single-lot auction will offer Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Warrior at the estimated price of $31 million to $41 million. 

Basquiat’s Warrior is a commanding portrait that displays the maturity of the artist’s artistic language. The painting is part of the 1981- 1982 series on wood panels consisting of Irony of Negro Policeman and La Hara. The warrior holds a silver sword in one hand and focuses his eyes on the viewer. The piece is partially a Jean-Michel Basquiat self-portrait, referencing his experience living as a Black American. “You see the anger, you see everyday street life,” states Cristian Albu, co-head of post-war and contemporary art at Christie’s. 

The evening sale will take place in Hong Kong along with live streaming on Christie’s online platform. Offering the work in Asia also marks a homecoming moment for the painting, as it first came to market in Tokyo at a 1983 sale by Akira Ikeda Gallery. Since then, the artwork has been part of multiple Basquiat exhibitions, especially the iconic 2019 Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition held by the Brant Foundation Art Study Center in New York.

The high estimate of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Warrior suggests the increasing demand for Western works in the Asian market. It also demonstrates, according to Albu, “the power of the painting, the rawness of the painting.” Christie’s looks to build off its success in Asia last year. 2020 marked a record-breaking year for the auction house on the continent.

“Collectors are increasingly making links between traditional artists and Western art history. I think it’s so important to broaden that idea of building the collection and understanding that Sanyu also gets inspired by Matisse, or that Zao Wou-Ki gets inspired by Soulages and the artists in Paris in the 1950s and 1960s,” says Albu while explaining the appeal of Western artworks to Asian buyers.

We Are All Warriors – The Basquiat Auction from Christie’s starts at 10 p.m. HKT. Warrior is now on view at Christie’s showplace at Rockefeller Plaza in New York until March 1st. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Warrior artwork will be on display at the Alexandra House, Hong Kong, from March 15th until the day of the auction.

Want to learn more about Black American artists with works available? Auction Daily recently looked at the career of Sam Gilliam, along with a signed monoprint on offer from the artist.

UPDATE OCTOBER, 2022: Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Warrior painting sold at the top of its presale estimate for HKD 323,600,000 (USD 41,857,351). With this sale, Warrior became the most expensive Western artwork ever sold in Asia. The auction house reports that over 400,000 tuned into the live-streamed event via social media and through Christie’s website. 

Since this sale, another major Basquiat painting has come to the market. Untitled (Devil) from 1982 was offered by Phillips in May of 2022 with a high presale estimate of $70 million. It achieved $85 million, the third highest price for a Basquiat painting at auction. Before coming to Phillips, the piece was owned by Japanese millionaire Yusaku Maezawa. The businessman and art collector had purchased the work for $57.3 million in 2016.