Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 concluded with significant sales, setting a positive tone for the global art market. Major galleries and collectors from Asia, Europe, and the Americas made notable acquisitions, highlighting young artists and regional talents. Hauser & Wirth sold a painting by Christina Quarles for USD 3.5 million.
Paris’ Thaddaeus Ropac secured a seven-figure deal, including a bronze sculpture for USD 2 million and an oil painting for USD 1.5 million. Takashi Murakami’s new acrylic and gold leaf painting, Tan Tan Bo: Wormhole (2025), sold for USD 1.35 million through Gagosian Gallery. Hauser & Wirth also sold two works by Korean artist Lee for USD 260,000 and USD 275,000 to a European foundation.
Thaddaeus Ropac sold an artwork for the First International Festival of Asian Film (1989) to a Chinese museum for USD 200,000. New talents were celebrated with sales such as a work by Li Hei Di, which sold for USD 50,000 to a private museum. Shanghai gallery EAST sold Yibei Zhang’s hanging sculpture There is Everything in Our Bonfire (2024) to Hong Kong’s M+ museum for USD 25,000.
In the Encounters sector, Tina Kim Gallery brought attention to the late Filipino artist David Medalla with an installation titled Through the Looking Glass (1996) that sold to a museum in Southeast Asia for USD 500,000. First Nations artist Betty Muffler saw three of her works sold in the USD 40,000–60,000 range.
Major sales highlight young talents
Christopher K. Ho’s piece was acquired by a major corporate collection through de Sarthe Gallery. NFTs and editions by Chinese artist Yang’s digital alter ego, Doku, garnered significant interest.
Zhang Wei’s oil-on-paper work Jingshan Front Street, Beijing (1974), was sold to the Tate Modern for USD 11,050. Rupy C. Tut’s pieces fetched USD 40,000 each, with one going to a Bay Area institution.
Irma Blank’s historical works ranged from USD 8,500 to USD 32,000 and found new homes in private collections globally. Young artists Shota Nakamura, Ernie Wang, and Zaam Arif attracted collectors. In the Insights sector, Taiwanese artist Yu Peng’s works saw approximately USD 160,000 in sales, and Sanyu’s ink drawings on paper sold for USD 27,000 to USD 37,710.
Hyun-Sook Lee, founder and chairwoman of Kukje Gallery, noted cautious optimism and rekindling within the art market. The fair showcased the resilient nature of art and its market, drawing diverse and enthusiastic participation from around the world.
