Hiroshi Suzuki's "Aqua-Poesy” sold on opening night at Adrian Sassoon, London.
:The 11th annual Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair, commonly known as SOFA, brought record sales and crowds to the Park Avenue Armory for its May 29–June 1 edition.
With 2,600 people packing the opening night party on May 28, officials reported the crowds were the largest of any art fair on site with a total attendance of 16,100.
"While we knew from the recent spate of contemporary art auctions that the pulse of the market was feverish, we were a bit taken back that a similar frenzy of buying marked our 11th edition opening night festivities," said Mark Lyman, founder of SOFA fairs in Chicago and New York, and vice president of dmg Art & Antiques.
Adrian Sassoon of the eponymous London-based gallery described the fair as "astonishingly successful." Sassoon said most of the hand hammered silver and gold Hiroshi Suzuki pieces sold, including "Aqua-Poesy" going for $155,000 on opening night. The largest piece in his stand, Kate Malone's ceramic "Succulent Mother Gourd," fetched $57,000.
Joan B. Mirviss Ltd, New York City, showed the work of Mihara Ken.
"The level of interest and caliber of the visitors is higher than ever," said Joan B. Mirviss, New York City, whose booth featured the work of Japanese potter Mihara Ken, which sold out. One piece was purchased by Los Angeles County Museum of Art and another by Yale University.
"If we had double the amount of his work, we would have sold them all," she said, adding that there was a good balance between well-established and new dealers on hand and in the media represented on the floor.
Also reporting strong sales were Douglas Heller of New York City's Heller Gallery, who wrote up a number of Venetian vessels by Lino Tagliapietra, and robust art jewelry sales at Sienna Gallery, Lennox, Mass.
For information, 773-506-8860 or
www.SOFAExpo.com
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