At a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong, Japanese artist Tenmyouya Hisashi ’s traditional-meets-modern Gundam painting "RX-78-2 Kabuki-mono 2005 Version" went for HK$4.8 million (approx. US$600,000). Says Hisashi about his work:

"In Japan there are many "Gundam-Otaku’s," and their adoration of Gundam is intense. Therefore, I did not want to change their image of Gundam. By changing Gundam’s "mobile suit" to tattoos, I altered his body, and made him even more customized. I emphasized the very concept of the "mobile suit," and by setting Gundam against a background of gold leaf from traditional Japanese painting, I emphasized Gundam’s samurai origins."

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