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Zeng Fanzhi at Lempertz
“Those of us living in China are at a turning point; we are witnesses to social change, the immense impact of which cannot be imagined by foreigners. This is our everyday environment and also the subject of our works.” -Zeng Fanzhi
Contemporary Chinese painter Zeng Fanzhi is known for his Expressionist paintings laden with psychological and political overtones. Along with the artists Yue Minjun and Fang Lijun, Zeng Fanzhi is considered to be one of the Cynical Realist painters seeking to question reality and current social conditions through the means of Figurative and satirical art.
Pictured is Zeng Fahnzi’s Untitled (Mask), which is being auctioned at Cologne-based Kunsthaus Lempertz during their Auction 1014 Contemporary Art on Friday, May 24, 2013.
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Asian Photography
With AIPAD The Photography Show taking center stage this week, we’re taking a closer look at Contemporary Asian Photography.
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Happy Birthday Murakami
Happy birthday Takashi Murakami! The Japanese artist celebrates his 51st birthday today.
Born in Tokyo, the painter and sculptor is famous for his integration of Fine Art, commercialism, Japanese aesthetics, and cultural criticism into his work.
His embrace of the commercial side of art reached a high point in 2003, when the artist began collaborating with Marc Jacobs in the redesign of the Louis Vuitton logo and handbags. Murakami currently lives and works in Tokyo and New York.
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Art Stage Singapore
“If you want to see Southeast Asian art and don’t want to travel for two months, you have to come here,” said Lorenzo Rudolf, Art Stage Singapore’s director.
As other art fairs emphasize their global credentials, Art Stage Singapore is increasing its focus on Southeast Asia, particularly on fast-growing Indonesia. Of the 130 galleries showcasing their work this year, 80% are Pan-Asian galleries and 20% are western galleries.
As Art Stage Singapore gets under way this week, discover the various regional styles of Asian Art.
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From Beijing
This week, we’re looking forward to The New York Academy of Art’s presentation of From Beijing, an exhibition of artwork by the faculty of Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). Don’t miss the opening reception on Tuesday, January 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.!
Renowned for alumni such as Zhang Huan, Liu Xiaodong, and Zhang Dali, CAFA is considered China’s preeminent art school. This exhibition marks the first time many of the prominent faculty members have been exhibited in New York City.
Mark your calendars for the panel discussion on February 14, featuring Pratt Institute’s Jonathan Goodman, Michelle Loh of Arts Asia Pacific, Art in America’s Richard Vine, Xie Dongming of CAFA, and Xu Bing of the CAFA Museum!
“We are thrilled to showcase the diversity and talent of our colleagues in Beijing and we’re excited to see the discourse generated by this exciting exhibition and panel,” said New York Academy of Art President David Kratz.
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Chinese Gardens
There are only a few days left to explore the rich interactions between pictorial and garden arts in China across more than a thousand years, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum.
In the densely populated urban centers of China, enclosed gardens have long been an integral part of residential and palace architecture, serving as an extension of the living quarters.
Artists were called upon not only to design gardens but also, as gardens came to be identified with the tastes and personalities of their residents, to create idealized paintings of gardens that served as symbolic portraits reflective of the character of the owner.
Chinese Gardens: Pavilions, Studios, Retreats ends on January 6, 2013.
Explore more Asian Art.
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Saatchi Gallery
Curated by Nigel Hurst, Johnson Chang, and Serenella Ciclitira (CEO of Parallel Contemporary Art), the Saatchi Gallery’s latest show, Hong Kong Eye, brings together 18 emerging Hong Kong artists.
In an effort to cast the Hong Kong art scene in a different light, the three curators consulted academics, galleries specializing in Hong Kong art, local curators, and professors in preparation for the show.
Hong Kong Eye is on view from December 5, 2012 through January 12, 2013 at London’s Saatchi Gallery.
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Ai Weiwei
“What single thing would improve the quality of my life? The freedom to express myself” - Ai Weiwei
Find out more about the Chinese dissident artist.
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The Pieta
This painting, one of the most tender and powerful images of Christianity and the human condition, was created by famous Post-Modern and Contemporary Indian artist F.N. Souza.
The Pieta is now live for bidding on artnet Auctions; this marks the first time that the work has come to the market.
Browse more artworks from our Modern And Contemporary South Asian Art sale.
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Art Toronto
We were out previewing Art Toronto, Canada’s premier international art fair, last night. This year’s edition features 130 galleries from 23 countries, as well as many exclusive events and installations.
Art Toronto’s theme for 2012, Focus Asia, introduces galleries which feature the broad spectrum of East and South Asian Art.
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Zao Wou-Ki at Feast Projects
If you’re in Hong Kong, don’t miss this fantastic Feast Projects show with work by prominent Chinese-French artist Zao Wou-Ki.
“Although the influence of Paris is undeniable in all my training as an artist, I also wish to say that I have gradually rediscovered China,” says the artist of his work.
The exhibition opens at Feast Projects on October 5, 2012, and runs through December 15, 2012.
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Qing Dynasty Porcelain
Dr. Alice Cheng, the Shanghai-born businesswoman and philanthropist, has put together a formidable collection of Imperial Chinese porcelain over the last 15 years. Many of her pieces, from the Yongzheng famille-rose peach vase that she donated to the Shanghai Museum in 2004 to the record-breaking J.T. Tai vase, were purchased with great passion and almost on a whim.
This season, a beautiful small selection from Dr. Alice Cheng’s collection will be auctioned at Sotheby’s.
Browse the broad spectrum of Asian Art.
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Yue Minjun
Presenting a contemporary take on traditional Chinese beliefs and religion, Yue Minjun provides a characteristic self-portrait set against a backdrop of flying white cranes. The traditional portrayal of cranes signify good luck and hopes for prosperity and peace in Chinese culture.
In this unique piece, Yue conveys the notion that traditional Chinese values and perceptions of the world are fleeting in today’s modern culture.
Find this work in our China Now: Contemporary Art sale.
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Sotheby’s Expands in China
Sotheby’s has signed a 10-year joint-venture agreement with Beijing GeHua Art Company to form the first international auction house in China. Sotheby’s (Beijing) Auction Co., Ltd. will be the first international Fine Art auction house in China, and the controlling shareholder in this business.
To celebrate the establishment of this joint venture, an historic first auction will be held on September 27, 2012, in which over 300 Chinese ink paintings and 40 pieces of classical furniture will be up for sale.
This venture comes at a time when Beijing is moving to clean up the auction industry that is fraught with fakes, smuggling, and non-payment, reports Bloomberg.
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AK-47
AK-47 (G.10) (2008) is one of the most dynamic paintings by famous Chinese Contemporary artists Zhang Dali, titled after the artist’s self-given street name.
Zhang Dali deconstructs the portrait by painting a grid-like series of horizontal rows of text that repeat “AK-47” across the entire canvas, eradicating the complete portrait of the boy. When viewed from a distance the 1-inch high “tags” disappear and the portrait appears in full. When viewed up-close, the portrait is fractured by the graffiti, eradicating the identity of this young man.
Click through to browse our China Now: Contemporary Art sale.
