The South Korean art world witnessed a historic milestone on March 31 as a single painting shattered the national record for the most expensive artwork ever sold at a domestic auction.
Yoshitomo Nara’s Nothing about it (2016), a captivating large-scale portrait, fetched a staggering 17.7 billion won (approx. $11.6 million) at Seoul Auction’s Gangnam center. This sale marks the first time a bid has surpassed the 10 billion won mark in a local auction.
Previously, the domestic record was held by Marc Chagall’s Bouquet de Fleurs, which had a winning bid of 9.4 billion won at last year’s Seoul Auction. Both Nara and fellow Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama cleared that benchmark in a single night.
The record-breaking evening, which saw a total auction value reaching as high as 75 billion won, signals a new era for Seoul as a global hub for collectors.
Yoshitomo Nara “Nothing about it” (2016) | Seoul Auctions
The Girl with the Big Eyes
Those familiar with Nara’s work likely recognize his signature “Nara girls,” stylized children with oversized heads and large, piercing eyes. While his earlier work from the 1990s often showed these kids with a punk sensibility — looking prickly or even defiant — Nothing about it shows a softer, more mature side of his figures.
Nara’s journey started in a quiet town in northern Japan. As a child raised by busy parents, he spent much of his time alone, enjoying American rock music, television and comics. These years of solitude deeply influenced his art, which he describes as a constant dialogue with his own inner life.
A major turning point for Nara was the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The tragedy hit close to his hometown, and the emotional weight was so heavy that he stopped painting for several months.
When he finally returned to his studio, his style had evolved. The once-sharp expressions of his characters shifted into something more reflective and calm. In Nothing about it, the girl’s upturned eyes and quiet demeanor represent a poignant sense of loneliness that feels familiar in the modern world.
Yayoi Kusama’s “Pumpkin (MBOK)” (2015) | Seoul Auctions
Yayoi Kusama’s Signature Pumpkin
Nara was not the only star of the night. Another legend of the Japanese art world, Yayoi Kusama, broke records of her own. Her vibrant 2015 painting Pumpkin (MBOK) sold for 12.33 billion won (approx. $8.1 million).
Now in her 90s, Kusama has spent decades using art to cope with lifelong hallucinations and trauma. She views pumpkins as a source of spiritual support, often saying they are the reason she keeps going.
The painting in question combines her most celebrated styles into one canvas. It features the plump yellow pumpkin as a symbol of stability — covered in the polka dots she sees in her visions — set against a delicate, web-like background known as “Infinity Nets.” These nets represent her philosophy of “self-obliteration,” where the artist and the object become one with the universe.
