When New York’s Night Turns to Gold for Emerging Artists and Auction Icons

Auction season in New York kicked off with a lively twist as Phillips’s New Now sale brought in $8.3 million, spotlighting both established names and fresh talent. While big-ticket works by Anish Kapoor and Kehinde Wiley grabbed headlines, the evening’s real buzz came from the auction debuts and record-breaking sales by up-and-coming artists. Among the newcomers, Elitsa Ristova’s It’s just a thought (2020) made a striking entrance, fetching $165,100. Meanwhile, Nikki Maloof and Che Lovelace set new personal records, signaling a growing appetite for emerging voices. With an 85% sell-through rate, the sale balanced the familiar with the unexpected, proving that the art market’s pulse often beats strongest at the intersection of legacy and discovery. In a city known for reinvention, even the auction block becomes a stage for the next act. #ArtAuctions #EmergingArtists #ContemporaryArt #Culture