Great Opportunities To Start A Collection On A Budget
Zeng Fanzhi
Set to take place one day after the Asian 20th Century & Contemporary Art Auction on May 26, Christie’s Asian Contemporary Art day sale in Hong Kong will present an enticing spectrum of works from leading Chinese and other Asian artists like Fang Lijun, Zhang Xiaogang, Yue Minjun and Yoshitomo Nara. Owing to a growing number of collectors from mainland China and rising interest from local Hong Kong bidders, prices for blue-chip Chinese artists should remain buoyant at the upcoming Christie’s auction series, but at the day sale, we expect a significant number of works to remain attainable for the new collector, who can’t hope to compete with established buyers for large-scale works by the likes of Zhang, Yue and Zeng Fanzhi that reliably sell for millions of dollars.
With these works becoming increasingly scarce as a record number of mainland Chinese buy art to diversify assets and combat unreliable property and stock holdings, bidding will likely be intense for particularly attractive or rare works, but good buys will definitely be there for the taking. This is particularly true for lithographs and photographs — two areas in which we’re just now seeing Chinese collectors get involved. The upcoming auction features a number of signed lithographs by the likes of Yue Minjun and Zhang Xiaogang, as well as works by blue-chip Chinese photographers like Cang Xin and Rong Rong that are, relative to large-scale oil paintings — smart buys within the reach of new collectors.
Here are Jing Daily’s top lots for the new collector at Christie’s Asian Contemporary Art day sale in Hong Kong on May 27:
Wang Qingsong – Night Revels of Lao Li (2000)
Lot: 2403
Numbered ‘4/20’
Chromogenic print
Size: overall: 33.5 x 251 cm. (13 1/4 x 98 3/4 in.)
Estimate: HK$250,000 – HK$350,000 (US$32,351 – $45,291)
Wang Qingsong (detail)
Fang Lijun – “Untitled No. 16” (1996)
Lot: 2420
Color woodcut on paper (a set of 3 hanging scrolls)
Size: overall: 242.5 x 366 cm. (96 1/3 x 144 1/8 in).
Edition 1/2
Estimate: HK$1,000,000 – HK$1,500,000 (US$129,402 – $194,103)
Fang Lijun
Zhang Huan – “Seeds of Hamburg” (2002)
Lot: 2454
Numbered ‘9/25’ (on the reverse)
Twelve chromogenic prints
Size: paper: 61 x 51.2 cm. (24 x 20 1/8 in.); image: 51.2 x 41 cm. (20 1/8 x 16 1/8 in.)
Estimate: HK$200,000 – HK$300,000 (US$25,880 – $38,821)
Zhang Huan
Cui Xiuwen – “Angel No. 2” (2006)
Lot: 2459
Chromogenic print
Size: 52 x 249 cm. (20 1/2 x 98 in.)
Edition 3/8
Estimate: HK$60,000 – HK$80,000 (US$7,764 – $10,352)
Cui Xiuwen
Xu Bing – “The Straw Field” (1987)
Lot: 2595
Woodblock print
Size: 54 x 71 cm. (21 1/4 x 28 in.)
Estimate: HK$80,000 – HK$100,000 (US$10,352 – $12,940)
Xu Bing
Su Xinping – “Sleeping Man, Departing Horse” (1989)
Lot: 2607
Lithograph
Size: 62.2 x 50.8 cm. (24 x 20 in.)
Edition 1/20
Estimate: HK$30,000 – HK$50,000 (US$3,882 – $6,470)
Su Xinping
Zhang Dali – “Dialogue Series” (2003)
Lot: 2617
Chromogenic print
Size: 61 x 90.2 cm. (24 x 35 1/2 in.)
Edition of 7/10
Estimate: HK$20,000 – HK$30,000 (US$2,588 – $3,882)
Zhang Dali
Hong Hao – “My Things No. 6” (2002)
Lot: 2624
Chromogenic print
Size: 60 x 100 cm. (23 5/8 x 39 in.)
Edition 5/15
Estimate: HK$30,000 – HK$50,000 (US$3,882 – $6,470)
Hong Hao
Wang Jin – “Dream of China” (1998)
Lot: 2628
Gelatin silver print
Size: 116 x 114 cm. (45 5/8 x 44 in.)
Edition 9/10
Estimate: HK$80,000 – HK$120,000 (US$10,352 – $15,528)
Wang Jin
Xing Danwen – “Born with the Cultural Revolution” (1995)
Lot: 2631
Three chromogenic prints
Size: each: 58.4 x 40 cm. (23 x 16 in.) (3)
Edition of 5
Estimate: HK$50,000 – HK$70,000 (US$6,470 – $9,058)
Xing Danwen
Cang Xin – “Communication Series” (1999)
Lot: 2632
Chromogenic print
Size: 102.9 x 81.3 cm. (40 1/2 x 32 in.)
Edition of 10
Estimate: HK$30,000 – HK$50,000 (US$3,882 – $6,470)
Cang Xin
Zhang Xiaogang – “Bloodline series: Big Family” (2006)
Lot: 2635
Lithograph
Size: 105 x 139.4 cm. (41 1/3 x 54 7/8 in.)
Edition 18/58
Estimate: HK$50,000 – HK$80,000 (US$6,470 – $10,352)
Zhang Xiaogang
Wang Guangyi – “Great Criticism: Coca Cola” (2002)
Lot: 2638
Lithograph
Size 134 x 106 cm. (52 3/8 x 41 3/4 in.)
Edition 156/199
Estimate: HK$40,000 – HK$60,000 (US$5,176 – $7,764)
Wang Guangyi
Yue Minjun – “Untitled” (2006)
Lot: 2640
Silkscreen print
Size: 110 x 90 cm. (43 1/4 x 35 3/8 in.)
Edition 38/45
Estimate: HK$40,000 – HK$60,000 (US$5,176 – $7,764)
Yue Minjun
