NEW YORK--A charity auction of contemporary art held Nov. 9 at Christie's New York raised nearly $9 million for survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
NEW YORK--A charity auction of contemporary art held Nov. 9 at Christie's New York raised nearly $9 million for survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The event was the brainchild of Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami.
Twenty-one pieces of art were auctioned, fetching a total of $8.76 million (680 million yen), which far exceeded the initial estimate of $5 million.
The pieces on offer were contributed by 15 artists of global renown, including Murakami himself, who provided four pieces.
A work by Yoshitomo Nara, known for his images of children with frowning faces, sold for about $730,000, while a piece by Jeff Koons, often dubbed a rebel of the art world, went under the hammer for $1.2 million. Many of the other pieces also drew higher-than-expected bids.
At the auction venue, actor Ken Watanabe recited "Ame ni mo Makezu" (Not defeated by the rain), a famous poem by Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933).
The proceeds will be donated to three groups, including the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.