Seoul Auction to Hold 7.9 Billion Won Sale on the 22nd... Park Soo-keun's "Street" Estimated at 800 Million Won

Auction to Be Held at Gangnam Center on December 22, 4 p.m.
114 Lots Valued at 7.9 Billion Won
Park Soo-keun’s “Street” Estimated at 480 Million to 800 Million Won

The Seoul Auction December sale will take place at 4:00 p.m. on the 22nd, featuring a total of 114 lots with an estimated value of 7.9 billion won, on the 6th floor of the Seoul Auction Gangnam Center. Masterpieces by renowned artists from Korea and abroad, including Park Soo-keun, Antony Gormley, Kim Changyeol, and Yayoi Kusama, will be seeking new owners.

Park Soo-keun 'Street'. Courtesy of Seoul Auction

The highlight of this auction is Park Soo-keun’s “Street.” This piece, created in the 1960s, exemplifies the artist’s distinctive matiere and planar composition, which became even more pronounced during this period. As the title suggests, it depicts women and children passing along the street, focusing on the figures themselves rather than the spatial background, capturing the daily lives of ordinary people with warmth. The artist’s affection for everyday life is especially evident in the delicate coloring of the subjects in white, red, and yellow. The estimated price is between 480 million and 800 million won.

A work by British sculptor Antony Gormley will also be presented. Created in 2013, this piece is part of the “Small Blockworks” series, characterized by the simplification of a real person into a block-like form through 3D modeling. The figure, appearing to stand with a slight bend, symbolizes the loneliness, anxiety, and alienation felt in modern society. The solid texture of the iron and the static form invite viewers to reflect on human existence amid a changing environment. The estimated price is between 490 million and 650 million won.

Kim Changyeol’s “Water Droplet,” by the so-called “water droplet painter,” is especially rare for its use of gold leaf. The canvas features a collection of luminous water droplets and identical trajectories, harmoniously contrasting the flat gold leaf with the three-dimensional droplets. A work by Yayoi Kusama, in which a dense white net painted on a red background creates a striking visual contrast, will also be offered. The estimated price is between 250 million and 500 million won.

Kim Changyeol 'Water Droplet'. Courtesy of Seoul Auction

This auction also features works that highlight the unique styles of major Korean artists. Chun Kyungja’s “Pyramid of Giza” (estimated at 25 million to 60 million won) was included in an illustrated travel book on Africa published by Iljisa in 1978 and vividly captures local scenery and impressions, including the Sphinx, pyramids, and camels. “Still Life” by Son Eungseong, a pioneer of Korean hyperrealism, features folk artifacts and brassware often painted by the artist in his later years, with meticulous depictions of the textures of metal and wood.

Three works by Choi Jongtae, a master of contemporary Korean sculpture, will also be on offer. In addition to his pastel drawings, which showcase his painterly sensibilities, sculptures made from various materials such as wood and stone will be presented, offering a broad view of his artistic world.

The classical art section will feature works of outstanding sculptural beauty. The “Hexagonal Blue and White Porcelain Bottle with Bamboo Hat Design” stands out for its neat hexagonal shape and squirrel-shaped ornamentation, while the bamboo hat and cloud patterns on the front create a splendid contrast between blue and white. The estimated price is between 200 million and 300 million won. In addition, “Landscape and Seven Other Works” by Ugwan Go Jinseung, a late Joseon dynasty court painter whose surviving works are extremely rare, will be presented, offering significant academic and artistic value.

To mark the year-end season, Seoul Auction will also operate a special pop-up store during the auction preview period. The Christmas market, featuring wine and liquor brand “Narasella” and European-style baked goods brand “Konditori Oven,” will run from the 19th to the 21st, providing visitors with a variety of attractions.

The preview exhibition is open to the public free of charge at Seoul Auction Gangnam Center from the 12th through the auction day on the 22nd.