A remarkable 1971 dot painting by renowned Korean abstract artist Kim Whan-ki has achieved a groundbreaking sale price of $8.4 million at Christie's prestigious auction house in New York, marking the second-highest auction price ever recorded for a Korean artwork. The masterpiece, titled "19-VI-71 206," represents a significant milestone in the international recognition of Korean contemporary art.
The large-scale painting, measuring an impressive 254 by 203 centimeters (approximately 8.3 by 6.7 feet), was sold during Christie's highly anticipated 20th Century Evening Sale on Monday. When including the auction house's fees and premiums, the final sale price exceeded $10.29 million, demonstrating the growing global appetite for Korean artistic excellence.
Christie's auction house provided exceptional praise for the artwork, describing it as "the zenith of Korean modern abstraction, embodying the purest and most transcendent ideals of art." This prestigious endorsement from one of the world's leading auction houses underscores the international art community's recognition of Kim Whan-ki's extraordinary artistic contributions and the sophisticated nature of Korean abstract art.
According to detailed information provided by the Whanki Museum in Seoul, this particular artwork was created during a pivotal period in the artist's career when Kim was living in New York City. The museum explained that this was a transformative time when "his search for the essence of nature evolved into a most pristine and complete form of abstraction." This period marked the artist's full maturation into his distinctive dot painting style that would become his signature.
Kim Whan-ki, who lived from 1913 to 1974, continues to hold the absolute record for the most expensive Korean artwork ever sold at auction. His monumental 1971 blue-dot painting, titled "Universe 05-IV-71 200," achieved an extraordinary sale price of approximately $11.3 million at a Christie's Hong Kong auction in November 2019. This previous record demonstrates the consistent high value and international demand for Kim's most significant works from his peak creative period.
The recent sale solidifies Kim Whan-ki's position as Korea's most commercially successful artist on the international auction market and highlights the increasing global recognition of Korean contemporary art. These record-breaking sales reflect both the artist's exceptional talent and the growing international appreciation for Korean cultural contributions to the global art world.
