Far from Beijing and Shanghai, thousands of kilometers from the Middle Kingdom, masterpieces of Chinese art survive, change hands and move from collection to collection. In New York, London, Paris and Brussels, Western collectors – fascinated by an entirely different relationship to drawing, writing, form and colour – are keen to obtain historical works of Chinese art – sometimes thousands of years old.
thierry Ehrmann : “Europeans and Americans are also interested in the great 20th century Chinese masters, especially those who managed to build bridges with Western culture… while lots of Contemporary Chinese artists (graduates of major art schools in the country) have managed to garner the support of some prestigious galleries in the United States and to seduce some of the Western world’s most powerful collectors.”
Top 5 Chinese artists outside China
by 2018 Auction Turnover
Zao Wou-Ki (1921-2013) 赵无极 – $31,250,600
Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) 张大千 – $18,509,500
Pan Tianshou (Attrib.) (1897-1971) 潘天寿 – $4,804,000
Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) 林风眠 – $3,118,500
Yang Feiyun (1954) 楊飛雲 – $2,793,300
The awakening and consolidation of the Chinese art market obviously had a profound impact on exchanges of all Chinese artworks throughout the world. In recent years, the price ratings of many Chinese artists have grown exponentially, thanks to a massive, passionate and impatient will to regain control of their own heritage.
Little by little, Chinese artworks are ending up back in their country of origin: Chinese collectors are today – logically – the largest purchasers of Chinese art. As a result, Westerners wishing to participate in this market are forced
