Takashi Murakami's recent charity auction at Christie's raised $8,756,100 million from the likes of auction house owner Francois Pinault and dealer Larry Gagosian for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the northeastern art of Japan on 11 March. The highest price fetched on the evening was $1m paid by an anonymous bidder for Jeff Koon's' Balloon Monkey Wall Relief.
Murakami said estimates were kept purposefully low to encourage biddiing for charity but that he was surprised by the priced fetched. "I'm very appreciative for that", he said adding that he found the turnout and sale total for his auction "heartwarming."
Image: KAWS' Kawsbob Enters the Strange Forest, 2011 (detail)
