Wide Range Of Blue-Chip Artists At Wide Range Of Estimates; Expect Strong Interest Among New Collectors
“The Massacre at Chios” by Yue Minjun will go under the hammer in Hong Kong on Sunday, November 26
Coming on the heels of this weekend’s record-breaking sale of a Wu Guanzhong oil painting for 149.5 million yuan (nearly US$24 million) at auction in Beijing, and German collector Thomas Olbricht’s endorsement of Chinese contemporary art in a Bloomberg article as an important market to watch, next weekend Christie’s will hold a wide-ranging Contemporary Asian Art day sale in Hong Kong. Packed with blue-chip Chinese artists, with a wide range of estimates for early and later works, this auction is going to be closely watched.
On October 3, 92 percent of works by Chinese contemporary artists were sold by value at Sotheby’s Contemporary Asian Art auction in Hong Kong, and though the sale’s overall sell-through rate was dinged by bidder apathy towards contemporary Japanese and Korean works, Chinese collectors displayed their growing discrimination and strong preference for top-quality works by historical artists.
Expect this to continue next weekend, as Chinese collectors will likely gravitate towards (and drive bids far beyond estimates for) the best-known lots by the best-known artists, foregoing lower-priced and lower-quality works.
Jing Daily’s top 10 lots to watch on November 27 at Christie’s in Hong Kong:
Yang Shaobin – “No. 18” (1999)
Lot: 1444
Oil on canvas
Size: 160 x 140 cm. (63 x 55 1/8 in.)
Estimate: HK$600,000 – HK$800,000 (US$77,418 – $103,224)
Yang Shaobin
Yue Minjun – “Musician” (2003)
Lot: 1435
Oil on canvas
Size: 100 x 80 cm. (39 3/8 x 31 1/2 in.)
Estimate: HK$1,000,000 – HK$1,500,000 (US$129,030 – $193,544)
Yue Minjun
Qi Zhilong – “Revolutionary Girl” (2001)
Lot: 1429
Oil on canvas
Size: 200 x 170 cm. (78 3/4 x 67 in.)
Estimate: HK$450,000 – HK$650,000 (US$58,063 – $83,869)
Qi Zhilong
Liu Wei – “You Like Me? Why Not! Series” (1996)
Lot: 1404
Oil on canvas
Size: 30 x 40 cm (11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Estimate: HK$800,000 – HK$1,200,000 (US$103,224 – $154,836)
Liu Wei
Wang Guangyi – “Great Criticism Series: Coca Cola” (2005)
Lot: 1428
Oil on canvas
Size: 120 x 150 cm. (47 1/4 x 59 cm.)
Estimate: HK$1,000,000 – HK$1,500,000 (US$129,030 – $193,544)
Wang Guangyi
Wang Keping – “Untitled”
Lot: 1514
Wood sculpture
Size: 21 x 16.5 x 55 cm. (8 1/4 x 6 1/2 x 21 5/8 in.)
Estimate: HK$120,000 – HK$180,000 (US$15,484 – $23,225)
Wang Keping
Feng Zhengjie – “Chinese Girl Series” (2008)
Lot: 1592
Oil on canvas
Size: 209 x 210 cm. (82 1/4 x 82 3/4 in.)
Estimate: HK$400,000 – HK$600,000 (US$51,612 – $77,418)
Feng Zhengjie
Zeng Fanzhi – “Untitled (Reclining Figure)” (17/65, 2008)
Lot: 1659
Silkscreen print
Size: 99 x 117.5 cm. (39 x 46 1/4 in.)
Estimate: HK$60,000 – HK$80,000 (US$7,742 – $10,322)
Zeng Fanzhi
Hai Bo – “They Series” (7/18, 1998)
Lot: 1626
Two black and white photographs
Size: Each 61 x 46 cm. (24 x 18 1/8 in.) (2)
Estimate: HK$20,000 – HK$30,000 (US$2,581 – $3,871)
Hai Bo
Zhan Wang – “Artificial Rock No. 40” (2/4, 2001)
Lot: 1455
Stainless steel sculpture
Size: 210 x 165 x 195 cm. (82 1/2 x 65 x 76 3/4 in.)
Estimate: HK$1,200,000 – HK$1,800,000 (US$154,836 – $232,253)
Zhan Wang
