AFTER DARK/SUMMER Auction Highlights Pt. 2
AFTER DARK/SUMMER 2026 Auction Highlights
Presenting a Series of Highlights from the Catalog
Lot 55: Shakil Solanki (South African, b. 1997). Royal Robes, 2020. Oil-based monotype on Fabriano paper. Estimated at $400 - $600
Lot 55 is an attractive monotype by the Cape Town-based contemporary artist, Shakil Solanki. Solanki engages with homoerotic themes through focused and intimate depictions of the male body bathed in shades of indigo. The artist draws reference from his own experience as part of the Desi community in South Africa, often employing aesthetic elements from Hinduism in his work. This work, Royal Robes, features a scantily-clad male figure that embodies the regal, sensuous form of a Rajput prince even in a contemporary thong.
While the Honshu-born Shozo Nagano was initially known for his abstract art as part of the Japanese “Time School” of artists, the male body would become the focus of his work in the United States from the 1960s onwards. Starting from a series of erotic interpretations of the Christian bible, Nagano eventually shifted his focus towards scenes of ecstasy and bondage, as a way of reflecting on his experience during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. The oil paintings featured in this auction are later iterations of these same themes, showcasing the artist’s resumed interest in both divine and erotic subject matter.
Lots 58 & 59 showcase two impressive paintings by the Brazilian artist Fernando Carpaneda. These works showcase the artist’s characteristic interest in the sensuality of the male figure and the aesthetics of the punk subculture. While the artist focuses on vulgarity and eroticism as principle subjects, he uses a variety of mediums in order to convey those themes. From the handmade erotic miniatures showcased in the Treasures of Gay Art from the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation to the hyper-realistic paintings featured in this month’s catalog, Carpaneda’s work demonstrates a true mastery of the male form.
Working predominately in hyper-realistic self-portraiture throughout his career, the Korean artist Byen Ung-Pil would eventually sublimate his own identity into the “Someone” figures that now dominate his canvases and prints. Byen places these figures in intimate, evocative scenes which he then invites the viewer to place themselves within, exploring the bounds of human relationships, gender, and identity. These prints, produced by the artist in a limited edition as part of his Someone series showcase Byen’s skill at conveying emotion and physicality even within an exceedingly minimalist approach to line and color.
Lot 62: Marcus Brutus (American, b. 1991). Deep, 2020. Archival print on wove paper. 31 from the edition of 50. Estimated at $500 - $800.
This print, Deep, was produced by the American artist Marcus Brutus as impression 31 from a limited edition of 50. Measuring at roughly 26 x 20 inches, this large-scale print has an immediate strong impression, with brightly saturated yellows and blues intersected by a masterful depiction of the male body. Brutus explores the idea of “power through portraiture” in his work, in which the black figure is central. His work documents daily, intimate moments from contemporary Black American life, particularly within the context of his own upbringing in a Haitian-American household.
Browse the catalog to find these highlights and other works that showcase the beauty of the male form. There’s still some time to register, request condition reports, or place pre-bids on any lots you’re interested in for our upcoming Thursday night auction!
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