Affordable art on the block at two houses

Two auction houses are giving consumers the opportunity to purchase artwork before the year ends.

K Auction, Korea’s second-largest auction house, will hold its last auction of the year today at its showroom in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam District.

Prices range from the affordable to the exorbitant.

At the higher end of the spectrum is Chun Kyung-ja’s 1960 piece “The Poet with Guitar,” with bidding starting at 500 million won ($450,000), and Lee In-sung’s mid-1930s piece “Still Life with a Pot,” which starts at 140 million won.

There are also popular yet affordable pieces such as Sa Suk-won’s “Rabbit with Moon,” starting at 1.2-3 million won; Lee Wal-chong’s “Golden Mean of Jeju Living,” starting at 2.8 million won; and Hwang Young-sung’s “Village,” 3.5 million won.

IPhone customers can bid online. For details call (02) 3479-9888 or visit www.k-auction.com.

Meanwhile, Seoul Auction, the biggest auction house in Korea, will host its third annual Art Auction, which includes four auction events, on Dec. 14 at Gana Art Center in Pyeongchang-dong.

The four auction events are: the 5th White Sale auction, the Design Auction, and the Modern and Contemporary Art Auction Parts I and II.

Bidding for pieces in the White Sale and Design Auction will start at 1 million won.

The proceeds from the White Sale will fund art education and financial support for underprivileged children.

The Modern and Contemporary Art Auction Parts I and II feature works by renowned Korean artists, including Kim Whan-ki’s oil on wooden board “Jar & Plum Blossom” and Park Soo-keun’s oil on hardboard “Children Jumping Rope.”

The 123 Auction in Modern and Contemporary Art Auction Part II is for individuals new to auctions. All bids start from 1 to 3 million won.

For details, go to www.auctionshow.org or call (02) 395-0330.

By Lee Jung-hee [estyle@joongang.co.kr]