This is your biweekly members-only newsletter providing mission-critical analysis, insights, and exclusive intelligence on developments in Asia's art markets, with a focus on business opportunities and challenges. (If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe here). |
This is your biweekly members-only newsletter providing mission-critical analysis, insights, and exclusive intelligence on developments in Asia's art markets, with a focus on business opportunities and challenges. (If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe here). |
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Cathy Fan Editor-in-Chief for Artnet News China |
| Vivienne Chow London Correspondent |
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This week in The Asia Pivot: The bestselling Asian artists of 2023, Tang founder Zheng Lin on the state of play, Fang Yuan’s exhilarating abstractions, and more—all in an 8-minute read (2,312 words).
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Cathy Fan Editor-in-Chief for Artnet News China |
| Vivienne Chow London Correspondent |
| This week in The Asia Pivot:
The bestselling Asian artists of 2023, Tang founder Zheng Lin on the state of play, Fang Yuan’s exhilarating abstractions, and more—all in an 8-minute read (2,312 words).
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The Big Picture Numbers Don't Lie |
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The Big Picture Numbers Don't Lie |
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Before the launch of The Asia Pivot
in October, we asked our friends and contacts in the art world what they most wanted to see in it. One popular answer was data, and this week, we offer you an exclusive list—the top-selling Asian artists in 2023. Who came in at number one? Drum roll, please!
The bestselling Asian artist of the year was the 20th-century Chinese painter Zhang Daqian (or Chang Dai-chien). According to data from the Artnet Price Database, Zhang, who died in 1983, at 83, achieved a total sales value (TSV) of $248 million at auction last year, up nearly 38 percent from 2022’s $180.6 million figure. Not only was he the bestselling Asian artist in 2023, but he was also number two globally, after Pablo Picasso, who had a TSV of $595.7 million. Zhang’s ranking was up by 12 places from 2022, when he came in at 14.
This result may come as a surprise to some, especially those who focus on contemporary art. The list of top-selling Asian artists has been dominated by living Japanese artists in recent years, such as Yayoi Kusama (eighth in 2023, TSV $190 million) and Yoshitomo Nara (21st, TSV $88 million). These names often appear in sales at the three major international auction houses, which are widely covered by Western media. Their fame has skyrocketed internationally over the last decade, and their names generate clicks in the pageview-driven online publishing sphere.
But Chinese artists born in the late 19th or early 20th century who may be lesser known to a Western audience have been commanding high prices for a long time, and their works have been trading at not just the major auction houses in Hong Kong, but also local and regional sales in mainland China and some parts of Asia. Zhang, for one, is a household name in the Sinosphere and has been dubbed the Picasso of the East. The two artists actually became friends in the late 1950s and exchanged paintings. Like his Spanish colleague, Zhang was prolific, which helps explain why his works are frequently traded on the secondary market, selling for multi-million dollars. Born in Sichuan in 1899, Zhang was famous for his celebrated splashed-ink technique. One prime example of his style is the mystic landscape painting Autumn Mountains in Twilight
(1967), which sold for HK$199 million (about $25.5 million; all figures include fees) at December’s blockbuster sale at Sotheby’s Hong Kong of 21 of his paintings from the Mei Yun Tang collection. The auction, of fresh-to-market work, totaled HK$295.5 million ($37.8 million).
But Zhang’s top-selling work in 2023 was Pink Lotuses on Gold Screen (1973), a splashed ink and color on gold paper on two-panel screen. It sold for HK$251.6 million ($32 million) at a Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale in April.
Among the top 100 Zhang lots sold in 2023, nearly half of them achieved a price above $1 million, including four that went for an eight-digit sum. The lowest-priced work on this list, an ink on paper hanging scroll titled Buddhist Monastery in the Mountains (prior to March 1958), still sold for a formidable $406,597.
Other Asian names among the top 40 artists at auction worldwide in 2023 (most of whom are Chinese) include Qi Baishi (9th, TSV $186.9 million), Wu Guanzhong (13th, TSV $108 million), Zao Wou-Ki (Chinese/French, 24th, TSV $77.8 million), Fu Baoshi (27th, TSV $68.9 million), and Huang Binhong (40th, TSV $50 million). However, none of them are living artists. The top-selling living Chinese artist in 2023 was Liu Ye—all the way back at 46th, with a TSV of $42.3 million.
There’s a lot more to unpack in this data set, which offers insights into the state of Asian art markets. Another name worth mentioning is Japanese jewelry artist Mitsuo Kaji (b. 1944). Last year, he achieved a TSV of $4.9 million, jumping from 24,550th on the worldwide list to 350th. Meanwhile, the Filipino social realist and post-Cubist artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho (1914–2012) climbed to 395th in 2023 from 19,294th.
That’s it for this week. See you in a fortnight. –Vivienne Chow |
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Before the launch of The Asia Pivot in October, we asked our friends and contacts in the art world what they most wanted to see in it. One popular answer was data, and this week, we offer you an exclusive list—the top-selling Asian artists in 2023. Who came in at number one? Drum roll, please!
The bestselling Asian artist of the year was the 20th-century Chinese painter Zhang Daqian (or Chang Dai-chien). According to data from the Artnet Price Database, Zhang, who died in 1983, at 83, achieved a total sales value (TSV) of $248 million at auction last year, up nearly 38 percent from 2022’s $180.6 million figure. Not only was he the bestselling Asian artist in 2023, but he was also number two globally, after Pablo Picasso, who had a TSV of $595.7 million. Zhang’s ranking was up by 12 places from 2022, when he came in at 14.
This result may come as a surprise to some, especially those who focus on contemporary art. The list of top-selling Asian artists has been dominated by living Japanese artists in recent years, such as Yayoi Kusama (eighth in 2023, TSV $190 million) and Yoshitomo Nara (21st, TSV $88 million). These names often appear in sales at the three major international auction houses, which are widely covered by Western media. Their fame has skyrocketed internationally over the last decade, and their names generate clicks in the pageview-driven online publishing sphere.
But Chinese artists born in the late 19th or early 20th century who may be lesser known to a Western audience have been commanding high prices for a long time, and their works have been trading at not just the major auction houses in Hong Kong, but also local and regional sales in mainland China and some parts of Asia. Zhang, for one, is a household name in the Sinosphere and has been dubbed the Picasso of the East. The two artists actually became friends in the late 1950s and exchanged paintings. Like his Spanish colleague, Zhang was prolific, which helps explain why his works are frequently traded on the secondary market, selling for multi-million dollars. Born in Sichuan in 1899, Zhang was famous for his celebrated splashed-ink technique. One prime example of his style is the mystic landscape painting Autumn Mountains in Twilight
(1967), which sold for HK$199 million (about $25.5 million; all figures include fees) at December’s blockbuster sale at Sotheby’s Hong Kong of 21 of his paintings from the Mei Yun Tang collection. The auction, of fresh-to-market work, totaled HK$295.5 million ($37.8 million).
But Zhang’s top-selling work in 2023 was Pink Lotuses on Gold Screen (1973), a splashed ink and color on gold paper on two-panel screen. It sold for HK$251.6 million ($32 million) at a Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale in April.
Among the top 100 Zhang lots sold in 2023, nearly half of them achieved a price above $1 million, including four that went for an eight-digit sum. The lowest-priced work on this list, an ink on paper hanging scroll titled Buddhist Monastery in the Mountains (prior to March 1958), still sold for a formidable $406,597.
Other Asian names among the top 40 artists at auction worldwide in 2023 (most of whom are Chinese) include Qi Baishi (9th, TSV $186.9 million), Wu Guanzhong (13th, TSV $108 million), Zao Wou-Ki (Chinese/French, 24th, TSV $77.8 million), Fu Baoshi (27th, TSV $68.9 million), and Huang Binhong (40th, TSV $50 million). However, none of them are living artists. The top-selling living Chinese artist in 2023 was Liu Ye—all the way back at 46th, with a TSV of $42.3 million.
There’s a lot more to unpack in this data set, which offers insights into the state of Asian art markets. Another name worth mentioning is Japanese jewelry artist Mitsuo Kaji (b. 1944). Last year, he achieved a TSV of $4.9 million, jumping from 24,550th on the worldwide list to 350th. Meanwhile, the Filipino social realist and post-Cubist artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho (1914–2012) climbed to 395th in 2023 from 19,294th.
That’s it for this week. See you in a fortnight. –Vivienne Chow |
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The View From... Zheng Lin
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The founder of Tang Contemporary Art on why it is not yet a buyer’s market in 2024 and the untapped potential of Southeast Asia.
Reflecting on the transition of the Lunar New Year, marking the change from the old to the new, I find myself, as a gallery owner, deeply engrossed in contemplating the future trajectory of the art market. The year 2023 posed significant challenges for us at Tang Contemporary Art. The first half was marked by optimism; however, the latter half took an unexpected downturn, significantly more severe than anticipated. Notably, events such as the Art021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair and the Sotheby's Long Museum sale signaled a widespread slump in the Chinese contemporary art market.
As we gaze into 2024, the continuation of this downturn looms like a prolonged, harsh winter for numerous artists and galleries. Art Basel Hong Kong in March could serve as a pivotal reboot for the Asian art market.
The general consensus is that, in 2024, it will remain a buyer's market, yet I believe this perspective may not be entirely accurate. In my view, the market will continue to favor sellers, especially esteemed blue-chip artists and highly sought-after millennial artists. A plethora of young talents, both within and beyond Asia, command extensive waiting lists of eminent collectors. So, the notion of a "buyer's market" should be viewed with nuance, taking into account diverse ecosystems of galleries, artists, and collectors.
In these challenging times, galleries must adapt to survive. The past years of the pandemic witnessed notable adaptations by leading galleries, which emerged stronger in the process. Tang, too, has evolved, focusing on cultivating partnerships with the youth, fostering international collaborations, and developing a network of foreign collectors. These strategic adjustments have propelled our growth across Asia. Over my 30 years in the field, Southeast Asian collectors have operated at a high caliber. The region's art and artists, diligently promoted by our gallery, have garnered attention from collectors across Asia and Europe, underscoring the importance of aligning offerings with local market preferences, making them jie di qi (“down to earth”), a term often used in Chinese.
Around 2000, despite the fact that China’s art scene was burgeoning as the country opened up, its market was nascent, with limited collector engagement and investment. This period marked our exploration into international exhibition and sales opportunities, coinciding with the formation of the Chinese contemporary art market and Southeast Asia's growing interest in Chinese artists.
Since the late ‘90s, our deep-rooted collaboration with Southeast Asia has yielded numerous significant projects and exhibitions. Despite the entry of international galleries into the region, our approach remains distinct. Our efforts in fostering exchanges between Chinese and Southeast Asian artists have cultivated a vibrant collector community, a feat not easily replicated by larger foreign galleries, which often prioritize Asian collectors over local artists. Southeast Asia presents a dichotomous market landscape, with Thailand and Vietnam leading the northern segment, and Singapore, surrounded by Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, anchoring the southern market ecosystem. This segmentation underscores Singapore's pivotal role in regional art development, particularly for Indonesian and Filipino artists. Our ambition to establish a presence in Singapore later this year aims to bridge these two poles of the southeast Asia art scene, paving the way for our eventual expansion into European and American markets. This strategic move aligns with our gallery's future direction and aspirations. –As told to Cathy Fan
Zheng Lin founded Tang Contemporary Art in Bangkok in 1997. Since then, the gallery has expanded to include seven locations across Beijing, Hong Kong, and most recently Seoul, showcasing a diverse range of contemporary art. |
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The View From...
Zheng Lin |
The founder of Tang Contemporary Art on why it is not yet a buyer’s market in 2024 and the untapped potential of Southeast Asia. |
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Reflecting on the transition of the Lunar New Year, marking the change from the old to the new, I find myself, as a gallery owner, deeply engrossed in contemplating the future trajectory of the art market. The year 2023 posed significant challenges for us at Tang Contemporary Art. The first half was marked by optimism; however, the latter half took an unexpected downturn, significantly more severe than anticipated. Notably, events such as the Art021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair and the Sotheby's Long Museum sale signaled a widespread slump in the Chinese contemporary art market.
As we gaze into 2024, the continuation of this downturn looms like a prolonged, harsh winter for numerous artists and galleries. Art Basel Hong Kong in March could serve as a pivotal reboot for the Asian art market.
The general consensus is that, in 2024, it will remain a buyer's market, yet I believe this perspective may not be entirely accurate. In my view, the market will continue to favor sellers, especially esteemed blue-chip artists and highly sought-after millennial artists. A plethora of young talents, both within and beyond Asia, command extensive waiting lists of eminent collectors. So, the notion of a "buyer's market" should be viewed with nuance, taking into account diverse ecosystems of galleries, artists, and collectors.
In these challenging times, galleries must adapt to survive. The past years of the pandemic witnessed notable adaptations by leading galleries, which emerged stronger in the process. Tang, too, has evolved, focusing on cultivating partnerships with the youth, fostering international collaborations, and developing a network of foreign collectors. These strategic adjustments have propelled our growth across Asia. Over my 30 years in the field, Southeast Asian collectors have operated at a high caliber. The region's art and artists, diligently promoted by our gallery, have garnered attention from collectors across Asia and Europe, underscoring the importance of aligning offerings with local market preferences, making them jie di qi (“down to earth”), a term often used in Chinese.
Around 2000, despite the fact that China’s art scene was burgeoning as the country opened up, its market was nascent, with limited collector engagement and investment. This period marked our exploration into international exhibition and sales opportunities, coinciding with the formation of the Chinese contemporary art market and Southeast Asia's growing interest in Chinese artists.
Since the late ‘90s, our deep-rooted collaboration with Southeast Asia has yielded numerous significant projects and exhibitions. Despite the entry of international galleries into the region, our approach remains distinct. Our efforts in fostering exchanges between Chinese and Southeast Asian artists have cultivated a vibrant collector community, a feat not easily replicated by larger foreign galleries, which often prioritize Asian collectors over local artists. Southeast Asia presents a dichotomous market landscape, with Thailand and Vietnam leading the northern segment, and Singapore, surrounded by Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, anchoring the southern market ecosystem. This segmentation underscores Singapore's pivotal role in regional art development, particularly for Indonesian and Filipino artists. Our ambition to establish a presence in Singapore later this year aims to bridge these two poles of the southeast Asia art scene, paving the way for our eventual expansion into European and American markets. This strategic move aligns with our gallery's future direction and aspirations.
–As told to Cathy Fan
Zheng Lin founded Tang Contemporary Art in Bangkok in 1997. Since then, the gallery has expanded to include seven locations across Beijing, Hong Kong, and most recently Seoul, showcasing a diverse range of contemporary art. |
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State of Play
The gateway to the pulse of the Asian market |
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| Art Fairs – This year’s
Collect fair in London, which is dedicated to contemporary art and design, includes about half a dozen Asian galleries (out of around 40), including Beijing’s BR Gallery and Seoul’s Gallery Sklo. Presented by the Crafts Council, Collect is celebrating its 20th year, and will be on view February 28 through March 3 at Somerset House, with the first two days as preview days. (Press release)
Galleries – Seoul gallery P21
is readying a new space in the Itaewon district, just 300 feet from its original location. Its new home will be inaugurated with an exhibition titled “2.0” that pairs Jorinde Voigt and Xiyadie; it will run from February 24 through April 6. (Press release) – Shanghai's Capsule
gallery is expanding to Venice. Its spot in the floating city will open on February 24 with a group show, “When We Become Us².” The outpost will stage four exhibitions this year, alongside the 60th Venice Biennale. Independent curator Manuela Lietti has been named the curator for the program. Meanwhile, Capsule’s Shanghai operation has promoted Zhou Zhiyi to director for Asia. (Instagram) – Silverlens, which has galleries in Manila and New York, now represents artists Imelda Cajipe Endaya, Keka Enriquez, and
Catalina Africa. Endaya will unveil a solo exhibition at Silverlens Manila and present work with the gallery at the upcoming Art Basel Hong Kong. (Press release) – The French gallery Ceysson & Bénétière
will open a space in Tokyo this fall. Located on the eighth floor of the Cura Ginza tower in the city’s Ginza district, the 3,500-square-foot location will be its eighth branch—and its first in Asia. (Artnet News) Institutions and Biennials – LACMA is to display "Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection," featuring over 100 pieces from the Three Kingdoms Period to the 20th century. The exhibition, highlighting Korean paintings, calligraphy, and more, runs from February 25 to June 30. (Press release) – Chinese artist and composer Pan Daijing, who was born in 1991, is set to present her most extensive solo exhibition yet at the Haus der Kunst
in Munich from March 9 to April 14. This immersive live exhibition will take over the museum’s entire West Gallery and offer audiences an exploratory journey through a landscape filled with installations and performative elements, blending architecture and the imagination. (Press release)
– For the upcoming Venice Biennale, a giant Chinese dragon will travel to the Giardini for the Nordic Pavilion’s exhibition, “The Altersea Opera,” which was conceived by the Swedish-born artist Lap-See Lam in collaboration with several artists. It is the first time that the pavilion will feature the work of artists of East Asian heritage. (Artnet News) – Tate Modern
and Hyundai Motor announced that South Korean artist Mire Lee (b. 1988) will present the next Hyundai Commission in the London institution’s grand Turbine Hall. Lee’s site-specific work is slated to be on view from October 8 to March 16, in what will be the artist’s first major presentation in the U.K. (Artnet News) – MoMA has recalled Yoshitomo Nara's “Little Wanderer”
snow globes due to a laceration risk from potential cracking, after 39 reports of damage but no injuries. Sold for $85 to $255, around 1,915 units are affected. The New York museum is offering refunds for the globes, which feature iconic figures from Nara's work in pajamas of various colors. (Artnet News)
Auctions – SBI Art Auction
will stage a special sale, “Tokyo Contemporary: Redefined,” for the third time on March 9 at the Tokyo International Forum, coinciding with Art Fair Tokyo 2024, which runs from March 8 to 10 at the same venue. (Press release)
– A trove of 174 lots of Chinese ceramics and jades from the Metropolitan Museum of Art will go on sale at Bonhams New York on March 18 during Asia Week in the city. The sale is titled “Passion and Philanthropy: Chinese Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” and all the lots will be offered with no reserve. Proceeds will fund future Met acquisitions. (Press release) People – Italian art collector Raffaella Gallo, who recently moved from Shanghai to Seoul, announced the upcoming lineup for her monthly salon, ARTCaffè:
Mateja Ristić in February, Jimin Lim in March, and Dew Kim in April. (Artnet News) – Aaron Seeto has been
named deputy director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. He recently departed from Jakarta’s Museum MACAN, where he was a director for nearly seven years, since its opening in 2017. The appointment comes as the Hirshhorn marks its 50th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Melissa Chiu's directorship. It recently appointed Estrellita Brodsky as its board chair. (ArtAsiaPacific) – Korean artist Do Ho Suh
just opened “Tracing Time,” his first solo show in Scotland, at the National Galleries Scotland in Edinburgh. It is on view until September 1. Another Suh show, “Artland,” which the artist conceived with his daughters, is on view at the Brooklyn Museum through May 5 after a run at a branch of the Seoul Museum of Art. (North Edinburgh News, Press release) – Michelle Kuo, curator of painting and sculpture at MoMA since 2018, has been named chief curator at large and publisher. In her expanded role, Kuo is overseeing exhibitions, digital initiatives, and publications. (MoMA) – Chengdu-born artist Tu Hongtao is set to unveil over 30 new works in a major exhibition at the Lévy Gorvy Dayan gallery in New York, running February 22 through March 30. (Press release) |
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State of Play The gateway to the pulse of the Asian market |
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Art Fairs – This year’s Collect
fair in London, which is dedicated to contemporary art and design, includes about half a dozen Asian galleries (out of around 40), including Beijing’s BR Gallery and Seoul’s Gallery Sklo. Presented by the Crafts Council, Collect is celebrating its 20th year, and will be on view February 28 through March 3 at Somerset House, with the first two days as preview days. (Press release) Galleries – Seoul gallery P21 is
readying a new space in the Itaewon district, just 300 feet from its original location. Its new home will be inaugurated with an exhibition titled “2.0” that pairs Jorinde Voigt and Xiyadie; it will run from February 24 through April 6. (Press release) – Shanghai's Capsule
gallery is expanding to Venice. Its spot in the floating city will open on February 24 with a group show, “When We Become Us².” The outpost will stage four exhibitions this year, alongside the 60th Venice Biennale. Independent curator Manuela Lietti has been named the curator for the program. Meanwhile, Capsule’s Shanghai operation has promoted Zhou Zhiyi to director for Asia. (Instagram) – Silverlens, which has galleries in Manila and New York, now represents artists Imelda Cajipe Endaya, Keka Enriquez, and Catalina Africa. Endaya
will unveil a solo exhibition at Silverlens Manila and present work with the gallery at the upcoming Art Basel Hong Kong. (Press release) – The French gallery Ceysson & Bénétière
will open a space in Tokyo this fall. Located on the eighth floor of the Cura Ginza tower in the city’s Ginza district, the 3,500-square-foot location will be its eighth branch—and its first in Asia. (Artnet News) Institutions and Biennials – LACMA
is to display "Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection," featuring over 100 pieces from the Three Kingdoms Period to the 20th century. The exhibition, highlighting Korean paintings, calligraphy, and more, runs from February 25 to June 30. (Press release)
– Chinese artist and composer Pan Daijing, who was born in 1991, is set to present her most extensive solo exhibition yet at the Haus der Kunst in Munich from March 9 to April 14. This immersive live exhibition will take over the museum’s entire West Gallery and offer audiences an exploratory journey through a landscape filled with installations and performative elements, blending architecture and the imagination. (Press release) – For the upcoming Venice Biennale, a giant Chinese dragon will travel to the Giardini for the Nordic Pavilion’s
exhibition, “The Altersea Opera,” which was conceived by the Swedish-born artist Lap-See Lam in collaboration with several artists. It is the first time that the pavilion will feature the work of artists of East Asian heritage. (Artnet News) – Tate Modern and Hyundai Motor announced that South Korean artist Mire Lee (b. 1988) will present the next Hyundai Commission in the London institution’s grand Turbine Hall. Lee’s site-specific work is slated to be on view from October 8 to March 16, in what will be the artist’s first major presentation in the U.K. (Artnet News) – MoMA has recalled Yoshitomo Nara's “Little Wanderer”
snow globes due to a laceration risk from potential cracking, after 39 reports of damage but no injuries. Sold for $85 to $255, around 1,915 units are affected. The New York museum is offering refunds for the globes, which feature iconic figures from Nara's work in pajamas of various colors. (Artnet News)
Auctions – SBI Art Auction
will stage a special sale, “Tokyo Contemporary: Redefined,” for the third time on March 9 at the Tokyo International Forum, coinciding with Art Fair Tokyo 2024, which runs from March 8 to 10 at the same venue. (Press release)
– A trove of 174 lots of Chinese ceramics and jades from the Metropolitan Museum of Art will go on sale at Bonhams New York on March 18 during Asia Week in the city. The sale is titled “Passion and Philanthropy: Chinese Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” and all the lots will be offered with no reserve. Proceeds will fund future Met acquisitions. (Press release) People – Italian art collector Raffaella Gallo, who recently moved from Shanghai to Seoul, announced the upcoming lineup for her monthly salon, ARTCaffè: Mateja
Ristić in February, Jimin Lim in March, and Dew Kim in April. (Artnet News) – Aaron Seeto has been
named deputy director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. He recently departed from Jakarta’s Museum MACAN, where he was a director for nearly seven years, since its opening in 2017. The appointment comes as the Hirshhorn marks its 50th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Melissa Chiu's directorship. It recently appointed Estrellita Brodsky as its board chair. (ArtAsiaPacific) – Korean artist Do Ho Suh
just opened “Tracing Time,” his first solo show in Scotland, at the National Galleries Scotland in Edinburgh. It is on view until September 1. Another Suh show, “Artland,” which the artist conceived with his daughters, is on view at the Brooklyn Museum through May 5 after a run at a branch of the Seoul Museum of Art. (North Edinburgh News, Press release) – Michelle Kuo, curator of painting and sculpture at MoMA since 2018, has been named chief curator at large and publisher. In her expanded role, Kuo is overseeing exhibitions, digital initiatives, and publications. (MoMA) – Chengdu-born artist Tu Hongtao is set to unveil over 30 new works in a major exhibition at the Lévy Gorvy Dayan gallery in New York, running February 22 through March 30. (Press release) |
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Pressing Me Against, 2023, 200 x 240cm, acrylic and oil pastel on canvas |
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Who: Fang Yuan (b. 1996, Shenzhen, China)
Based in: New York
Gallery: Hive Center for Contemporary Art
Why we care:
Two years after earning her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York and receiving the Rhodes Family Award for Outstanding Achievement, painter Fang Yuan is making waves with her solo exhibition at Shanghai’s Long Museum, “Flux” (through March 24). Last year, Fang’s profile in the art market soared, with nine lots going to auction, including 2002’s Expanse (mask), which
sold for $88,900 including fees in March at the New Now sale at Phillips in New York and setting an artist record, according to the Artnet Price Database. Her whirlwind brushstrokes have captivated a wide audience, and she is particularly popular among emerging collectors. Fang sees her abstract canvases as metaphors for the human condition, marked by anxiety, turbulence, and unpredictability. Her recent work, influenced by traditional Chinese art and the Dunhuang frescoes, sees her embracing her origins and identity as an immigrant who moved to the United States at the age of 18. This year, Fang is taking part in the year-long artist residency program at Silver Art Projects in New York.
Up next: Fang is set to have a solo exhibition at Skarstedt in London in May that will coincide with London Gallery Weekend. –Cathy Fan
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Pressing Me Against, 2023, 200 x 240cm, acrylic and oil pastel on canvas |
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Who:
Fang Yuan (b. 1996, Shenzhen, China)
Based in: New York
Gallery: Hive Center for Contemporary Art
Why we care:
Two years after earning her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York and receiving the Rhodes Family Award for Outstanding Achievement, painter Fang Yuan is making waves with her solo exhibition at Shanghai’s Long Museum, “Flux” (through March 24). Last year, Fang’s profile in the art market soared, with nine lots going to auction, including 2002’s Expanse (mask),
which sold for $88,900 including fees in March at the New Now sale at Phillips in New York and setting an artist record, according to the Artnet Price Database. Her whirlwind brushstrokes have captivated a wide audience, and she is particularly popular among emerging collectors. Fang sees her abstract canvases as metaphors for the human condition, marked by anxiety, turbulence, and unpredictability. Her recent work, influenced by traditional Chinese art and the Dunhuang frescoes, sees her embracing her origins and identity as an immigrant who moved to the United States at the age of 18. This year, Fang is taking part in the year-long artist residency program at Silver Art Projects in New York.
Up next: Fang is set to have a solo exhibition at Skarstedt in London in May that will coincide with London Gallery Weekend. –Cathy Fan |
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Thanks for joining us for The Asia Pivot
See you next time |
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Header image: A scene at a Sotheby's sale in Hong Kong, taken on April 02, 2017. (Photo by Jayne Russell/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) |
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Thank you for joining us for The Asia Pivot See you next time |
Header image: A scene at a Sotheby's sale in Hong Kong, taken on April 02, 2017. (Photo by Jayne Russell/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) |
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This email was sent to cfan@artnet.com by Artnet Worldwide Corporation.
373 Park Avenue South, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA |
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This email was sent to cfan@artnet.com by Artnet Worldwide Corporation.
373 Park Avenue South, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA |
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