German Socialite Guilty of Fraudulent Kusama Sale
By Gabrielle Tse
Portrait of ANGELA GULBENKIAN. Image via Instagram.
On July 2, German art dealer and socialite Angela Gulbenkian pled guilty to the fraudulent sale of Yellow Pumpkin (2012), one of Yayoi Kusama’s famed fiberglass pumpkin sculptures. The buyer, Hong Kong-based art advisor Mathieu Ticolat, paid USD 1.38 million for the sculpture in 2017 but never received the piece. In February 2020, Gulbenkian failed to show up at the scheduled hearing of the case in a London court, and was tracked down four months later in Lisbon. She was promptly extradited to the United Kingdom for the court hearings. Gulbenkian’s sentencing is now scheduled for July 28.
