Eight signature pumpkin works by Yayoi Kusama are set to headline the spring auction season in Hong Kong, coinciding with Art Basel week. Major auction houses including Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Bonhams are offering a diverse range of these iconic motifs, featuring everything from a massive two-meter-tall fiberglass sculpture to rare red and yellow canvases. Notable highlights include a unique 2015 sculpture at Sotheby’s with a high estimate of HK$60 million and a rare red pumpkin painting at Bonhams.
The concentration of these high-value works during Art March underscores Hong Kong's status as a primary hub for the blue-chip contemporary art market. Kusama’s pumpkins have transitioned from personal symbols of childhood resilience and hallucination into some of the most commercially successful assets in the art world. The simultaneous offering of eight significant pieces tests the depth of collector demand for Kusama’s most famous motif amidst a high-profile week of international art commerce.