The ultra-contemporary art auction market closed September with figures that confirm its resilience: 502 lots that went under the hammer at Bonhams, Christie’s, Phillips, SBI Art Auction and Sotheby’s generated a total turnover of 18 million dollars, with a sell-through rate of 79%. Behind these numbers are the stories of four artists – Hao Liang, Nicolas Party, Shara Hughes and Atsushi Kaga – who together illustrate how auction prices are built today: between museum recognition, heavyweight galleries and collectors ready to chase new records.
Key points
- In September, 502 lots of ultra-contemporary art were analyzed, for a total turnover of 18 million dollars and a sell-through rate of 79%.
- Nicolas Party sold “Still Life, 2015” for HKD 11,520,000, almost 1.5 million dollars, at Christie’s Hong Kong.
- Li Hei Di, born in 1997, set a new personal record by selling a work for HKD 3,328,000, equal to 432,640 dollars, at Sotheby’s.
- Hao Liang sold “Fisherman Recluse on the Autumn River, 2019” for HKD 15,360,000 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
- Atsushi Kaga totaled 1,099,735 dollars in four sales, with the best lot hammered down at HKD 2,816,000, about 366,080 dollars, at Christie’s Hong Kong.
Overview of the September ultra-contemporary auction market
September confirms that the ultra-contemporary segment operates on a global scale, with results concentrated mainly between Hong Kong and the major international hubs. The five auction houses involved – Bonhams, Christie’s, Phillips, SBI Art Auction and Sotheby’s – drove sales from New York to Tokyo, via Marlborough, in a month that featured artists already established in institutional circuits.
The overall data is clear: 502 lots analyzed produced 18 million dollars in revenue, with a sell-through rate of 79% that indicates still-solid demand for this market segment. Among the names driving the results stand out Hao Liang, Nicolas Party, Shara Hughes and Atsushi Kaga, all artists with a strong position both at auction and in museum collections.
Sales and records of the top artists
The four leading figures of the month achieved very different results, but all are significant for understanding where collectors’ interest in ultra-contemporary art is shifting.
Nicolas Party’s record
Nicolas Party, who had already returned to the spotlight in June, confirmed his status with another notable result: “Still Life, 2015” was sold for HKD 11,520,000, almost 1.5 million dollars, during the 20th/21st Century Evening Sale on 29 September at Christie’s Hong Kong. An outcome that strengthens the artist’s position among the most sought-after names of the moment.
New record for under-35 artist Li Hei Di
The market for artists under 35 continues to offer surprises, and Li Hei Di, born in 1997, is the clearest example. The work “The Heaviest of Burdens Crushes Us, We Sink Beneath It, It Pins Us to the Ground, 2023” was sold for HKD 3,328,000, equal to 432,640 dollars, at Sotheby’s during the Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction in Hong Kong. The result surpasses the artist’s previous record, set at HKD 2,667,000 (342,857 dollars), and confirms an upward trajectory for one of the youngest voices on the scene.
Highlights from Hao Liang’s auction
During Sotheby’s Hong Kong Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction on 28 September, the spotlight turned to Hao Liang’s “Fisherman Recluse on the Autumn River, 2019”. The work, which blends classical training in traditional Chinese painting – developed at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute – with a contemporary sensibility, was sold for HKD 15,360,000. The result remains below the artist’s personal record, set in 2023 at HKD 24,650,000 (3,140,187 dollars), but confirms steady demand for his works at auction.
Excellent auction results for Shara Hughes
Shara Hughes’s September auction results reflect the strength of her dreamlike landscapes and floral compositions through which the artist explores perception, emotion and memory. “Soft and Strong, 2021”, one of four works offered during the month, was sold for HKD 8,320,000, equal to 1,081,600 dollars, 7% above the estimate. Of the four lots offered, three were sold, for a total of 1,561,200 dollars and an average of 36% above estimates. The artist’s auction record remains the one from 2022, when “Spins from Swiss, 2017” was sold for 2,940,000 dollars at Christie’s New York.
Atsushi Kaga’s auction successes
September was a particularly active month for Atsushi Kaga, who appeared in four sales for a total turnover of 1,099,735 dollars, with an average lot price 122% above estimate. The main lot, “Just a Human Experience, 2021”, was sold on 30 September at Christie’s Hong Kong during the 21st Century Day Sale for HKD 2,816,000, about 366,080 dollars, 135% above estimate. His latest record dates back to March of this year, with “Moon Catcher, 2020”, also sold at Christie’s Hong Kong.
Institutional and gallery support for the featured artists
The auction results of these artists cannot be understood without looking at the support they receive from museums and galleries, a factor that increasingly influences prices in the ultra-contemporary art market: the stronger the institutional presence, the more solid demand at auction tends to be.
Museum collections and key galleries
Hao Liang, born in 1983, took part in the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017 and his works are included in the collections of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2026 he was present at Art Basel with Gladstone Gallery and at the Consortium Museum in Dijon with a solo room within L’Almanach 26; he is represented by Gagosian, Gladstone Gallery and Vitamin Creative Space.
Shara Hughes, trained at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, concluded her mid-career retrospective “Inside Outside” at the Norton Museum of Art in Florida in March, while from 9 October the Albertina Museum in Vienna is dedicating a solo exhibition to her. During Art Basel 2026 she recorded important sales with White Cube and David Kordansky Gallery; her works are part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington. She is represented by David Kordansky Gallery, Galerie Eva Presenhuber and Soco Gallery.
Atsushi Kaga, born in 1978, merges Japanese manga and anime culture with the painting of the Rinpa school of Kyoto from the Edo period. He graduated in Fine Arts from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 2005; in February he closed the solo exhibition “Just Another Human Experience” at the Douglas Hyde Gallery and until 30 October he is present in Paris, at Les Enluminures in the Jardin du Palais-Royal, with a project developed together with the gallery. His works are in the collections of the Adachi Foundation in Tokyo and the Dallas Museum of Art. He is represented by Maho Kubota Gallery, mother’s tankstation and Jessica Silverman, which sold one of his works for 125,000 dollars at Art Basel 2026 and the same amount at Art Basel Hong Kong for “Homage to Jakuchū – Panel 2 (2025)”.
FAQ
Which auction houses were active in the ultra-contemporary art segment in September?
Bonhams, Christie’s, Phillips, SBI Art Auction and Sotheby’s led the ultra-contemporary segment in various cities around the world.
What were the total turnover and sell-through rate of ultra-contemporary art auctions in September?
The auctions analyzed covered 502 lots, for a turnover of 18 million dollars and a sell-through rate of 79%.
Who are some of the leading artists in recent ultra-contemporary art auctions?
Hao Liang, Shara Hughes, Atsushi Kaga, Nicolas Party and Li Hei Di were among the main artists of the month.
Which institutional affiliations support these artists?
Their works are held in institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum, among others, with solo exhibitions organized in museums around the world.
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