hirose, but in a slightly different way.ally only in america in the wonderful melting pot in the 50's and 60's that you could have found these two combining into this unlikely duo. >> reporter: dr. hirose pass away in 2019, the work of his long ago patient still hanging on his wls. >> with amelia there at $3.8 million, and we sell it here in bonhams new york. ( gavel ) >> reporter: and on wednesday, art dealers from around the world bid on these rarely seen works from the earliest days of kusama's career, eight pieces she brought on the plane with her from japan, and ree paintings created after arriving in t u.s. where do these works fit within the story of kusama? >> the works themselves, as ey fit into the artist's career, are... are totemic. you know, she is someone who's most familiar themes revolve around flowers, around the polka dots, around infinity nets, and then latterly things like pumpkins, et cetera. but really her most important works, you think of the innity net and these river paintings are absolutely fundame