Hong Kong – On 27 November 2025—four decades after it was created—NOV. 27, 1984 ("Tuesday.") from Today, 1966–2013, by pioneering conceptual artist On Kawara, will lead Bonhams' Modern and Contemporary Art Sale in Hong Kong. Estimated at HK$6,000,000–9,000,000, the work is a rare example from the artist's iconic "Today" series and stands as a defining expression of Kawara's lifelong exploration of the passage of time and the notion of human existence.

Marcello Kwan, Bonhams' Head of Modern and Contemporary Art, Asia, commented: "This painting is more than a date on canvas; it is a portal into time—a silent witness to our personal histories and the lives quietly lived alongside global moments. It is especially meaningful to present this work at auction on 27 November—a moment where past and present converge."

The present work belongs to Kawara's iconic "Today" series—also known as the 'Date Paintings'—which he began on 4 January 1966. For nearly 50 years, Kawara pursued this daily practice until 2013 and produced more than 3,000 paintings across more than 130 cities worldwide. Each work followed a strict ritual: the date of execution was rendered in white on a monochromatic background—typically blue, red, or gray, following the language and typographic conventions of the location where it was created. If not completed by midnight, the painting was destroyed. Each finished work was stored in a custom-made box, accompanied by newspaper clippings from the same day, juxtaposing the austere precision of the date with the fragmented realities of the day's events.

Through the "Today" series, Kawara invites viewers to reflect on the interplay between time, memory, and space—both personal and universal. The series, in its entirety, serves as a striking meditation on the passing of time and its witness to history, humanity, and the continuity of being.

Kawara's philosophical exploration of time and existence was rooted in his personal experiences. Born in Japan in 1932, he came of age under the shadow of war. The upheavals of postwar Japan—and particularly the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—shaped his lifelong preoccupation with the questions of life, death and existence. After years of traveling and living across the globe, Kawara settled in New York in 1965, where he developed the distinctive conceptual language that made him one of the most influential voices in postwar art.

Kawara's achievements have been recognised by major art institutions worldwide, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, which presented his landmark retrospective On Kawara—Silence in 2015. His works are held in the permanent collections of MoMA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, among many others. He also participated in major international exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale and Documenta in Kassel, and was represented by leading galleries. Today, On Kawara remains one of the most significant and influential figures in postwar conceptual art.

Other notable highlights from the sale:

• Ewa Juszkiewicz, Untitled (after Joseph Wright). Estimate: HK$4,700,000 - 5,800,000
• Wang Guangle, 160116. Estimate: HK$1,600,000 - 2,400,000
• Ju Ming, Taichi Series – Golden Rooster Standing. Estimate: HK$1,200,000 - 2,000,000