All of the Top 10 highest-selling Works at Contemporary Korean Art Auctions Are by Artist Kim Whanki

The Full Dot Painting by Korean Artist Kim Whanki Was Sold For 7.8 Billion Won

Kim Whanki (1913-1974) is celebrated as a trailblazer of Korean abstract art and one of the most iconic painters representing 20th-century Korean art. Deeply inspired by quintessentially Korean themes such as landscapes, skies, the moon, clouds, traditional white porcelain, and cultural patterns, Kim gradually abstracted these subjects into his signature style. Over time, his work evolved into fully abstract compositions, using dots, lines, and planes—culminating in his renowned “all-over dot paintings.” These pieces beautifully captured the essence of Korean identity through a modernist lens.

Kim Whanki’s 1971 painting, 9-XII-71 #216, was sold for approximately KRW 7.819 billion (around HKD 46 million, excluding fees) during Christie’s Hong Kong evening auction at The Henderson Building on the evening of September 26, 2024. Including the buyer’s premium, the final price reached about KRW 9.5 billion (HKD 56 million). This sale marks the third-highest price ever achieved for a contemporary Korean artwork at auction. The first and second spots are also held by works from Kim Whanki. Earlier in March 2024, one of his works was sold for KRW 5 billion at a Seoul Auction event. Notably, all of the top 10 highest-selling works in Korean art auction history belong to Kim Whanki.

The piece measures 251cm in width and 127cm in height, featuring a composition of dots in various shades of blue arranged in a semi-circular swirl pattern. According to Christie’s, the painting had been privately held for about 20 years, and this was its first appearance at auction. The auction house also noted that fewer than 20 blue-toned dot paintings from the early 1970s have ever surfaced in the market, making this a rare and valuable work.

Data from Christie’s

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