Kim Whanki’s 1971 painting sets record modern art price

A painting by Kim Whanki (1913–1974), regarded as a pioneer of abstract art in South Korea, sold at a U.S. auction for $8.4 million, or roughly 12.3 billion won. The sale marks the second-highest price ever achieved for a piece of modern Korean art at auction.

According to auction house Christie’s, Kim’s 1971 work 19-VI-71 #206 was sold at the “20th Century Evening Sale” held in New York on Nov. 17. Including fees, the buyer is expected to pay approximately 15.1 billion won.

The price ranks just below Kim’s record-holding work Universe (05-IV-71 #200), which sold for roughly 13.2 billion won at a Hong Kong auction in 2019, making it the highest price ever achieved for a Korean artwork. Kim also holds the third-highest record, with another full-dot painting, 3-II-72 #220 (1972), selling for 8.53 billion won at a Seoul Auction in Hong Kong in 2018.

19-VI-71 #206 depicts a vast, seemingly infinite space expanding into the universe through a pointillist technique. The large-scale canvas measures 254 centimeters wide by 203 centimeters high. Christie’s noted that fewer than 30 works by Kim from a similar period exceed the “200 size” (259.1 by 193.9 centimeters), making this painting extremely rare.


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