Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Sabado por la Noche (1984) will headline Christie’s 20th/21st century evening sale in Hong Kong on March 28th, coinciding with Art Basel Hong Kong for the first time. Estimated at HK$95 million–HK$125 million (US$13 million–$16 million), the frenetic painting, awash in vivid hot pinks and deep blood reds, is an immersive masterpiece. Ranking among the most iconic works in Basquiat’s oeuvre, this monumental 1984 piece, measuring an impressive 195.6 x 223.5 cm (77 x 88 inches), exemplifies his signature fusion of text, iconography, and human figures. It radiates raw energy and embodies his bold, visionary artistic style.
In “Sabado por la Noche” (Saturday Night), Basquiat constructs a vibrant tapestry of cultural influences, prominently featuring two ‘Griot’ figures—emblems of West African storytelling—intertwined with street art aesthetics and anatomical references. His intellectual curiosity saturates the composition, evident in embedded paper sheets bearing symbols of the solar system, Fibonacci’s golden ratio, and the words ‘knowledge,’ ‘truth,’ and ‘birth,’ alongside the recurring visual language of doubled gyres and spirals.
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