Auction introduction: This September, Christie’s proudly presents the 21st Century Day Sale — a dynamic showcase of contemporary art that brings together a compelling selection of works by both internationally acclaimed and emerging artists. Leading the sale is Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin (C) (1991), a vibrant work that encapsulates her enduring exploration of organic forms and obsessive repetition. Also featured is Yoshitomo Nara’s pivotal painting Mumps (1993), created during his formative years at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under A.R. Penck — a period that marked the emergence of his signature style: melancholic, big-headed figures set against stark, minimalist backgrounds. Another major highlight is George Condo’s The Showgirl (2008), a striking example of his celebrated ‘Artificial Realism’ — blending classical technique with contemporary psychological portraiture. The sale further celebrates the richness of contemporary Chinese painters, with important works by Zeng Fanzhi, Zhang Xiaogang, and Liu Ye, alongside leading Japanese artists such as Takashi Murakami, Izumi Kato, and Yu Nishimura. These are presented in dialogue with post-war and contemporary Western masters including Roy Lichtenstein, Alex Katz, and Nicolas Party.