GABRIEL OROZCO (B. 1962)
21.I.22 (a) #13
titled '21 1 22 13' (on the left); signed ‘GABRIEL OROZCO’ (on the reverse)
gouache, tempera, ink and graphite on paper
6¹⁄₂ x 4³⁄₄in. (16.6 x 12.1cm.)
Executed in 2022

Donated by the artist, courtesy of kurimanzutto, Mexico City and New York.

The present work forms part of Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco’s ambitious series Diario de Plantas (Plant Diary). The year-long series began in Tokyo—where the artist has been based since 2015—in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, and comprises delicately stained and blotted leaf prints made onto the pages of small Japanese notebooks. Motifs of plants recur throughout Orozco’s practice—which spans sculpture, painting, installation, photography and video—but are often shown as highly stylised and geometric representations. In Diario de Plantas, the artist reveals a more intimate, tactile relationship with nature.

Across the page, translucent trails of ink overlap and interplay with vibrant passages of colour and negative space. The influence of traditional Japanese calligraphy can be found in intricate webs and networks of line on paper. Each daily recording is titled by the artist directly onto the sheet, referencing the exact date and notebook in which the imprint was created. In doing so, Orozco traces a poignant record of time, place and home. Physically pressing the leaves of plants around him, the diary also provides a snapshot into the artist’s travels between Asia and his native South America. Through the imagery of nature, each page evokes new seasons of hope and rebirth after a period of global lockdown.

Christie’s is proud to continue our collaboration with Art for Tropical Forests, a charity founded by visionary art dealer Ernst Beyeler in 2002, which combines passion for art and dedication to the protection and conservation of tropical forests worldwide. We are delighted to support the humanitarian ethos of Art for Tropical Forests with a selection of contemporary works by Gabriel Orozco, Ian Davenport, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jason Martin, Catherine Goodman, and Ekrem Yalcindag, generously donated by the artists and galleries. These lots are being sold by the Art for Tropical Forests Foundation, whose diverse programme includes habitat preservation, reforestation, forestry stewardship, and the strengthening of local communities.


The Board members of today are: Felix von Rohr (President of the Foundation); Dr. Hans Furer (Director of the Foundation); Dr. Kathrin Amaker; Katja Christ (Member of the Swiss Parliament); Ulla Dreyfus-Best; Roger Graf; Dr. Brigitte Holgreve; Peter Rettig; Prof. Dr. H.C. Marcel Tanner; Mag. Irene Gludowacz (Project Manager for Auctions).

Please note the starting bid for this lot is now at 12,000 GBP