The Painting With a Sharp Edge That Set Yoshitomo Nara's Auction Record
3 min read · 15 Jul 2025
Knife Behind Back. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
Yoshitomo Nara's Knife Behind Back (2000) sold for $24.94m (HKD195.7m) at Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 06, 2019. The acrylic on canvas work had been traded twice before.
Nara painted Knife Behind Back the year he returned to Japan after 12 years studying abroad in Germany, including in Dusseldorf under the artist A.R. Penck.
The record-breaking work with its menacing title was one of the largest paintings by the Japanese artist to appear at auction. It features a disgruntled looking girl, who is not as sweet as she might first appear.
"I think all the pictures I've created are like my reflections," Nara said when his European retrospective opened in London's Hayward Gallery in June 2025.
Sleepless Night (Cat). Image courtesy of Christie's
The sale beat the artist’s previous auction record by $20.49m, a 400% rise. His previous record was set by Sleepless Night (Cat) (1999), which sold for $4.45m at Christie's on May 25, 2019.
A Brief History of Yoshitomo Nara at Auction
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019-10-06 | Knife Behind Back | $24.94m | 461 % | Sotheby's | Hong Kong |
2019-05-25 | Sleepless Night (Cat) | $4.45m | 30 % | Christie's | Hong Kong |
2015-11-09 | The Little Star Dweller | $3.41m | 11 % | Christie's | New York |
2015-10-14 | Missing in Action | $3.07m | 20 % | Phillips | London |
2015-05-30 | Yr. Childhood | $2.56m | 18 % | Christie's | Hong Kong |
2015-05-13 | Baby Blue | $2.17m | 8 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2014-04-05 | Night Walker | $2.02m | 35 % | Sotheby's | Hong Kong |
2007-11-13 | Princess of Snooze | $1.5m | 50 % | Christie's | New York |
2007-05-16 | Night Walker | $1m | 5 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2006-05-10 | Missing in Action | $950,000 | 130 % | Christie's | New York |
2006-02-23 | Bad Barber | $412,200 | 17 % | Seoul Auction | Seoul |
2005-10-23 | All the world is yours | $353,800 | 11 % | Christie's | London |
2005-05-12 | Your dog | $320,000 | 14 % | Phillips de Pury | New York |
2005-05-11 | Nice to See You Again | $280,000 | 8 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2004-11-11 | Doll | $260,000 | 44 % | Christie's | New York |
2004-11-09 | Present | $180,000 | 6 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2004-05-12 | Blue sheep | $170,000 | 55 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2003-11-11 | The Little Pilgrims: The Complete Set (Night Walking) | $110,000 | 83 % | Christie's | New York |
2003-05-14 | Bunny heads | $60,000 | 71 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2002-11-13 | Q & A | $35,000 | 17 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2002-05-15 | Be Happy | $30,000 | - | Christie's | New York |
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