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2006 Asian Fall Auctions of Chinese 20th Century and Contemporary Art
by Jon Burris, November 7, 2006
The 2006 Asian fall auctions of Chinese 20th Century and contemporary art began in Hong Kong on October 9th with Sotheby's exceeding their spring sales results in this popular category by US$5 million. Last April, Sotheby's sold 133 lots for a total of US$16,957,713. This October, they netted US$21,874,903 on 169 lots. Industry insiders are predicting that the Beijing auctions, starting with Poly International's sale on November 21st, could go even higher and Christie's Hong Kong sale on November 26th will offer a staggering total of 411 lots with an impressive number of rare, early-to-mid 20th Century paintings.
It may be hard however to top the recent record set by Sotheby's for the sale of Chen Chengbo's circa 1930's Danshui at US$4,470,808, the highest ever paid for a 20th Century Chinese oil painting. The 35" x 45" (90.5cm x 116cm) canvas depicts the landscape of this port city with its red stone-roofed houses, narrow streets, and peaceful bay as it appeared in the mid-1930s. It is part of a well-known series of three similar views of Danshui the artist produced over separate trips to this scenic region in Taiwan.
Other impressive results from the Sotheby's October 9th sale included: Zhang Xiaogang's Big Family Series No. 15 a 1998 oil painting measuring 74" x 59" (190cm x 150cm) US$1,124,417; Ju Ming's Taichi Series – Single Whip, 1998, #3/8 in the 80" (204cm) size, US$1,066,807; Zhou Wuji's 1992 oil painting entitled May-September, 1992 a 102" x 78" (260cm x 200cm) canvas US$1,023,600 and Wang Huaiqing's Han Xizai Night Revel Series No. 4, 2006 measuring 82" x 59" (210cm x 150cm) US$705,268, a record for the artist.
2006 marks the 20th anniversary of Christie's auctions in Hong Kong and they hope their upcoming November 26th sale tops their May 29th results that attained the highest total ever achieved anywhere in the world, an impressive US$39,176,696. As usual, Christie's will offer a broad range of works by recognized first generation Chinese oil painters as well as the biggest names in contemporary and avant-garde Asian art across a spectrum from China, Korea, Japan and India.
The dates, companies, times, and locations for the fall 2006 auctions are:
In Beijing:
11/21 - Poly International, Chinese Contemporary Art
3:00pm, Asia Hotel
11/21 - Poly International, Modern Chinese Art
4:00pm, Asia Hotel
11/21 - Poly International, Historical Transition Chinese Oil Paintings
7:00pm, Asia Hotel
11/22 - China Guardian, Oil Paintings and Sculptures
1:30pm, The Kerry Centre Hotel
11/22 - China Guardian, 20 years of Contemporary Chinese Art
7:30pm, The Kerry Centre Hotel
11/23 - Huachen, Chinese Oil Paintings and Sculptures
2:00pm, The Peninsula Hotel
11/23 – Rongbao, Modern Chinese Oil Paintings
10:00am, Asia Hotel
In Hong Kong:
11/26 – Christie's, 20th Century Chinese Art
2:00pm, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center
11/26 – Christie's, Asian Contemporary Art
5:00pm, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
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