London, 31 March 2026 - Phillips has announced highlights from its upcoming Modern & Contemporary Art sale in London on 16 April 2026, an auction anchored by significant works from the British street artist Banksy and the German painter Gerhard Richter, two figures whose cultural influence and market relevance continue to resonate with collectors worldwide. The sale will also present notable works by Bernard Buffet, Andrew Cranston, Tracey Emin, Emily Kam Kngwarray, Cildo Meireles, and Lygia Pape, alongside an exceptional cohort of offerings in ULTIMATE, Phillips' platform devoted to exclusive works of art with a particular emphasis on photography. The public preview opens at 30 Berkeley Square from 9 to 16 April.
Louise Simpson, Specialist, Head of Modern & Contemporary Art Sale, London and Associate Director, said the house was "thrilled to unveil a compelling lineup for our Modern & Contemporary Art sale this spring in London." She added that the auction is led by "standout works by Banksy and Gerhard Richter, artists whose cultural influence and market relevance continue to resonate with collectors worldwide," and noted that the season "also marks an exciting iteration of ULTIMATE, which brings together extraordinary, one-of-a-kind pieces available for sale only at Phillips."
The leading lots
Among the top lots is Banksy's Picasso, executed in 2009, a rare sculptural work in carved marble on a wooden pedestal that exemplifies the artist's subversive wit and his dialogue with art history. Gerhard Richter's Green-Blue-Red (1993), estimated at £200,000 to £300,000, anchors the painted highlights. Further depth comes from two important Brazilian artists: an immersive conceptual installation by Cildo Meireles, Desaparecimentos (Disappearances) (1982), estimated at £180,000 to £220,000, which captures the artist's subversive use of art to undermine the former Brazilian military's dictatorship, and Book of Night and Day I (1963 to 1976) by Lygia Pape, a pioneering figure of the Neo-Concrete movement, estimated at £120,000 to £180,000.
Further highlights
The sale includes the auction debut of the London-born artist Jemima Murphy, whose recent presentation with Anat Ebgi Gallery underscores her rising international profile, with Invincible Blooms (2023) estimated at £8,000 to £12,000. A strong group of four works by Bernard Buffet spans four decades of the artist's practice, from an early Autoportrait (1949) to La Malcontenta bord de la Brenta environs de Venise (1990), highlighting his distinctive graphic style. The session also features Wandering Emu (1991) by Emily Kam Kngwarray, alongside works by Andrew Cranston, Tracey Emin, and Richard Long, offering a dynamic cross-section of international contemporary practice.
Selected highlights and their pre-sale estimates include:
ULTIMATE and photography
A highlight of the sale is ULTIMATE, Phillips' platform dedicated to showcasing exceptional works with a particular focus on photography. The Spring 2026 edition is led by rare, museum-quality works by the master photographers Robert Mapplethorpe and Irving Penn, anchoring the presentation with exceptional twentieth-century highlights. Two self-portraits by Mapplethorpe, both titled Self Portrait (1980), are each estimated at £60,000 to £80,000, while Irving Penn's Woman in Feather Hat, New York (1991) carries an estimate of £30,000 to £50,000. The edition also features three global debuts, with new works created in 2026 by Mika Ninagawa, John Noestheden, and the auction newcomer Anna Deller-Yee, alongside the highest number of women artists represented in the platform to date. Ninagawa's Gathered Silence, Blossoming Light (2026) is estimated at £15,000 to £25,000, and Deller-Yee's The Gathering of the Clouds (2026), created exclusively for Phillips, is estimated at £8,000 to £12,000.
The auction takes place on 16 April 2026 at 1pm BST at 30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX, with viewing from 9 to 16 April. Phillips offers dedicated expertise in Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels, holding its principal auctions and exhibitions in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong.
Estimates do not include the buyer's premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer's premium.
(Press Release)
