Work of the Week is excerpted from The Back Room, our lively recap funneling only the week’s must-know art industry intel into a nimble read you’ll actually enjoy. Artnet News Pro members get exclusive access—subscribe now to receive this in your inbox every Friday.
On the VIP day of Frieze Seoul, Hauser and Wirth sold Mark Bradford’s mixed media work Okay, then I apologize (2025) to a private Asian collection for $4.5 million, making it the top sale of the day. The abstract triptych, over 10 feet long and rendered in shades of blue, orange, and earth tones, offers a speculative view of the cosmos, reflecting Bradford’s passion for mythology. The seven-digit price added some major momentum to Seoul’s art week, which includes Kiaf Seoul at Coex.
Hauser and Wirth has steadily cultivated Bradford’s presence in Asia. The 63-year-old, Los Angeles–based artist debuted in the region with a 2018 show inaugurating the gallery’s Hong Kong space followed by the 2019 exhibition “Mark Bradford: Los Angeles” at the Long Museum in Shanghai, and another 2023 gallery show in Hong Kong. This week, he opened “Mark Bradford: Keep Walking” at the Amorepacific Museum of Art in Seoul.
![Bradford studio, 2023.jpg; caption: “Imagination has always been something that has saved me. Imagination has been something I’ve always been able to escape to. When things outside were a little rough, imagination has always been a friend to me. I never thought I was an ‘artist’ but I did have an imagination.” -Mark Bradford]](https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2023/06/1-Photo_-Bradford-studio-2023-664x1024.jpg)
Mark Bradford in his studio, 2023.
Bradford’s success goes beyond institutional visibility—his personal engagement has also resonated with audiences. During the tour for his Seoul exhibition, he warmly greeted visitors, shared stories of the 1992 L.A. riots and how the Korean community responded. When he introduced his early End Papers series, made by layering sheer perm papers—a call back to when he worked at hair salon—he tried to explain what the materials were by rolling a strand of hair of a Korean auntie in the audience. The playful gesture dismantled all language and cultural barriers, making the tour one of the most joyful experiences of the Seoul Art Week.
The artist’s auction record was set in 2018, when his Helter Skelter I (2007) sold for $11.9 million at Phillips London, according to the Artnet Database. However, earlier this year, a 2019 canvas, estimated at just $1.9 million, failed to sell at Sotheby’s Singapore.