ArtWorthy 06:
Miyoko Ito

ArtWorthy11.12.2024

Guess The Value

Miyoko Ito (1918–1983) was born in Berkeley, CA to parents of Japanese descent. Ito’s paintings feature rich surfaces and evocative colors characterized by many layers of paint meticulously built-up with individual brushstrokes. Working on one canvas at a time, her technical precision was reflected in her slow working process. Painting in her studio from sunrise to sunset, often seven days a week, Ito said: “Painting is very much a part of my life, like breathing. It is a necessity. It is do or die"

Ito’s 1973 painting Kachina references her 1969 work Katchina in the Smithsonian Museum. “Kachina” (also spelled “katchina” or “katcina”) denotes ancestral spirits in Hopi and Pueblo cultures who oversee tribes and partake in ceremonies. The term also refers to ritual masks worn by men and wooden dolls for girls, both bridging the natural and spiritual worlds.

It last sold at auction in 2018 where it made $35,000 USD. In the years since Ito’s reputation has risen considerably with Matthew Marks Gallery in New York City organizing a retrospective of her work in 2023 and a major monograph published in early 2024. It is coming up for auction at Rago with an estimate of : $100,000–200,000 USD on November 14, 2024.

What will it sell for?

Image: Miyoko Ito, Kachina, 1973 © The Estate of Miyoko Ito

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