Fair Warning

About Fair Warning
Fair Warning is dedicated to offering a new experience in the acquisition of exceptional, hyper-curated art – one lot at a time. Founded by former Christie’s co-chairman Loïc Gouzer, Fair Warning has quickly become a distinguished name in the art world, renowned for its commitment to quality, rarity and market freshness.

Our platform disrupts the traditional auction model by dropping a single, meticulously selected piece of art for auction. This approach ensures that our members engage with only the finest works - without any noise and in the most felt way – spanning artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Steven Shearer, Urs Fisher and many more. Our auctions continuously set world records like our recent lots from Elizabeth Peyton, Takako Yamaguchi, Joan Semmel, Paco Rabanne, Lucas Arruda and John Kacere. 

Acquiring via Fair Warning is different. We use cutting-edge technology to create a seamless, secure and dynamic auction experience. The live auctions are conducted through our exclusive app, where collectors swipe-to-bid process.

Membership to Fair Warning is by application only, fostering an intentional community of collectors who share a profound passion for art. Our selection criteria and emphasis on quality over quantity set us apart, making each acquisition a significant and valuable addition to any collection.

At Fair Warning, we are dedicated to redefining the art auction experience by merging traditional expertise with innovative practices. We bring the most relevant and exceptional art to collectors, ensuring that each piece offered is a masterpiece worthy of investment. 

Use this link to download the app and apply to be a member. 

About the Presentation
Nearly 12 years ago, Takako Yamaguchi embarked on an extended, and — somewhat — unexpected exploration into realism. Departing from her “self-orientalizing” style that fused traditional Japanese styles and motifs with modern influences, Yamaguchi began multiple series that embraced meticulous painting methods that combined trompe-l’oeil effects photo-sharp authenticity.  

Among these works, was a small grouping of intricate ‘self-portraits,’ painted from photographs or the artist donning wonderfully feminine, and often beautifully detailed, apparel, of which Untitled (Red Blouse) is a striking example. 

Each of these self-portraits demonstrate a five-year exploration into hyper-realist painting. The resulting paintings are brilliantly executed, tightly-cropped fragments of the artist’s chest, torso, or waist. They emerge both as complex studies of garment textiles and monumental tributes to feminine beauty.  The works are quietly astonishing, with palpable texture and vivid tints that exhibit a mindful devotion to labour intensive craftsmanship.  

Untitled (Red Blouse) teeters between figurative and abstraction. Saturated in vibrant scarlet and crimson reds, Yamaguchi’s meticulous attention to detail brings to life the delicate layering of sheer, translucent fabrics as they drape over the artist’s skin and cotton camisole. The constellation of embroidered flowers infuses the canvas with added texture and depth, creating a tapestry that is both fluid and sculpture, abstract and literal. And yes, the effect is very demure. 

In many ways, Yamaguchi’s intricate self-portraits both accept and deny art historical precedents. For one, they immediately recall the Italian artist Dominica Gnoli’s larger-than-life cropped torsos from the 1960s. And yet, unlike Gnoli’s surreal pop approach, there is nothing playful about Yamaguchi’s modest renderings. They are feminist, but not outspoken; photorealist while avoiding the cliche genres of the 1960s. Like her earlier works, Yamaguchi’s self-portraits enter a dialogue that is distinctly their own.