My portfolio, musings, amusing(s - that a word? No? K.) and more. Photoshoots over the years, behind the scenes anecdotes, some awesome celebrity encounters (some horrific ones too!). 21 years+ as a journalist in Hong Kong - that's a lot of verbal diarr... um... discourse!
A remarkable showcase offering an immersive exploration of the dualities of human experience, ‘Eros/Thanatos’ delves into the intricate dance between desire (Eros) and death (Thanatos) through diverse artistic mediums. A sequel to the recent success of ‘Corpus - Three Millennia of the Human Body’, which captivated audiences, this exhibition positions Sotheby’s Maison (@sothebys) as the talk of the town, an epicentre of cultural engagement in the region.
Hong Kong Luxury Week at Christie’s is all set to dazzle, but these two stones will shine the brightest at the upcoming auction.
As part of Hong Kong Luxury Week, Christie’s is set to showcase two exquisite pieces of jewellery—a 35.09-carat Kashmir sapphire and a 13.22-carat Burmese ruby ring—during the Magnificent Jewels live auction on 27 May 2025. Both items are from an important private collection and will appear on the dock for the first time in years.
First up, The Regent Kashmir, a remarkable sapphire, boasts an estimate of a jaw-dropping range: HK$65 million to HK$95 million. With its captivating “royal blue” hue, this gem is distinguished by its exceptional clarity and the rarity of its origin. As the most valuable piece of Kashmir sapphire jewellery offered by Christie’s globally in the past five years, it is anticipated to generate intense interest from collectors and connoisseurs alike. Its velvety appearance and historic significance render it a once-in-a-generation masterpiece.
Read the entire feature here at Robb Report Hong Kong.
RECORD-BREAKING
SOTHEBY’S
When it came to glamour, luxury, and sales figures that looked like telephone numbers, nothing beat the headline making sales at Sotheby’s Hong Kong this past year, particularly at the new retail outpost, the auction house’s maison in the heart of Central. The range on offer at the 24,000-square-foot space, designed by Dutch architecture firm MVRDV, split the house into sub-sectioned salons, where you saw diversity and choice at their shimmering best.
In a remarkable year for Sotheby’s, the standout sale was the auction debut of Mark Rothko’s Untitled (Yellow and Blue) from 1954, which fetched an impressive HK$252.5 million. This landmark transaction positions Rothko as the third most valuable Western artist to be auctioned in the region, surpassing initial estimates of HK$225 million to HK$275 million.
Among other notable sales, Zhang Daqian’s Red Robe Avalokiteshvara emerged as the leading lot in Chinese art, commanding a respectable HK$77.5 million from the Leshantang collection, with estimates ranging from HK$22 million to HK$30 million.
Looking ahead, Sotheby’s will host a Modern and Contemporary Evening auction in spring 2025 in Hong Kong, followed by an expected roster of auctions, events, and previews for watches, jewellery, and Chinese art and antiquities, but it’s the surprises in-store that you can most anticipate, as the new heads and team members promise events worth waiting for. Consider our breaths bated.
Read more here at Robb Report Hong Kong.
The annual collector's edition Best of the Best is out now!
It’s the reveal of a whole new world as Sotheby’s unveils grand canvases and antiquities at a new space redefining art and luxury in the heart of Central.
Sotheby’s has unveiled its new maison at Landmark Chater in the heart of Central, Hong Kong. A dazzling testament to the auction house’s finest curation of grand art, the opening puts divine Asian sculptures, rare books and first editions, vintage artefacts, large-scale ink drawings, paintings, diptychs, triptychs, rare antiquities, and a dinosaur skeleton on display to showcase the breadth of its collection.
Sotheby’s has morphed what was once prime retail real estate—goodbye, Armani café, Armani Fiori, and more blue-chip brands that were housed there before—into a 24,000-square-foot exhibition and retail space; some of the collections on show within the salons (the first floor is divided into thematic rooms) are available now, others will eventually be auctioned off to a discerning global clientele at calendar-scheduled auctions.
Read the entire feature here at Robb Report Hong Kong.
