Young at art

A new generation of Chinese collectors is making its mark. Deng Zhangyu reports

One of them is launching a major international art fair - touted as the first of its kind in Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province. Another one is behind Artcare, a company providing services for art collectors. A third is looking to the fifth edition of a celebrity-studded art fair she set up with her husband in Shanghai.

These are just a few among the growing number of young collectors coming to the fore of China's art market. The country's market recorded a turnover of $4.9 billion (4.1 billion euros; ￡3.6 billion), to surpass that of the United States and take the lead globally, says the 2016 Global Art Market Annual Report, issued by art price database Artprice.

Such collectors as Art Chengdu's Huang Yu, 36; Artcare's 36-year-old Tong Chi Kar, who is from the high-end property company Tomson Group; and 37-year-old Ying Qinglan and her husband, David Chau, in Shanghai, are among the leading contributors to China's art market. They not only buy art but also contribute to the contemporary art ecosystem.

"The young collectors who are frequently reported on by media are only the tip of an iceberg. The group increases in size every year. More join in, influenced by their peers, who love to share their art collections with the public," says Li Yanfeng, general manager of the 20th century and contemporary Chinese art department of auction house China Guardian Auctions.

Unlike their predecessors, who often bought Chinese art at auction houses and shared their purchases with a small circle of friends, younger collectors prefer to spend more on contemporary works at galleries and art fairs, where they can interact with artists and visit various art shows.

The younger generation - many members of which hail from wealthy or art families - share a lot in common, says Li. They are usually well-educated, confident about their tastes and open to all mediums and artists, regardless of nationality.

Part of a lifestyle

Tomson Group Vice-Chairman Tong says his collection is a reflection of his passion and love for art. He tries to spend whatever spare time he has outside of work commitments in Shanghai visiting galleries, art fairs and museums throughout the country and abroad.

"If I'm on a business trip to cities like London and Paris, I'll definitely visit local art museums. In fact, I have been to these museums many times," says Tong. He has a private art space, C+, in Shanghai's downtown area along the Huangpu River. It displays his collections and occasionally invites artists to hold shows.

Tong owns more than 200 pieces of art. They're mainly abstract works by artists born after the 1970s and include paintings, sculptures, installations and videos.

He explains that he loves to buy the works of artists who grew up in his era. He can find emotional links or similar experiences.

Works by international artists account for nearly one-fifth of Tong's collection. They include such big names as Tracey Emin and Yves Klein.

Tong spent his teenage years in the United States and was educated in Boston. He once visited a show in high school featuring Pablo Picasso's works painted during the Spanish master's Blue period, when his pieces were rendered in that color. The works had such an impact on Tong that his collections are also largely related to blue.

Tong started to buy art in 2009, beginning with an oil painting by Chinese artist Zhou Chunya. He could not take his eyes off the painting when he first saw it.

"I buy art according to my instincts. Works must touch my heart and move me," says Tong.

In May, Tong set up Artcare in Beijing to offer art-related services, such as insurance, transportation and storage facilities, as well as consultations and projects to cooperate with artists.

"It's like services for my own collection," Tong says jokingly.

The idea behind Artcare actually stemmed from his online and offline conversations with collector friends, who made him realize there was a demand for such services.

Tong loves to share his passion for art online. He often posts details of his visits to art exhibitions on his Sina Weibo micro blog, where he has about 330,000 followers.

"Art is a lifestyle. It's part of my life and I'd like to share it with others," he says.

Clear idea of collection

Unlike Tong's expressed use of instinct to buy art, Huang Yu adopts a systematic approach. He has definite ideas on what to buy and has more than 300 pieces, mostly conceptual works and videos.

Last year, Huang held a show of his collection in his hometown, Chengdu. This was followed by a forum involving young Chinese collectors. Huang wanted to provide a platform for them to exchange ideas.

Huang was born into a wealthy family. His mother is a successful businesswoman and has a museum in Chengdu.

Huang was fascinated with auto racing and became a racer in his early 20s. In 2003, he was hooked on bodybuilding and won a competition. However, these short-term interests soon gave way to his love of art.

In 2003, he headed for Beijing and founded an auction house with his elder brother. For several years, he bought only antiques - ancient Chinese paintings and porcelain - just like his parents' generation.

Huang went to Shanghai's China Minsheng Bank in 2008 and helped launch the first art fund in Asia. He applied to work at the Minsheng Contemporary Art Museum in Shanghai when it was still in the planning stages. The move helped spur his purchases of contemporary art, which now account for a large part of his collection.

Huang learned art history at the museum and went to galleries, fairs and auction houses to buy art. He bought about 100 pieces of contemporary art within two years. He also bought emerging international artists' works, mainly for investment.

"I rarely sell pieces from my collections. I separate the investment part clearly from my collections," says Huang.

After years in the field, Huang says he better understands the development of contemporary Chinese art. He knows which artists should be in his collection and why. He buys works by those who possess a critical footprint in art history, such as Yang Fudong, Liu Xiaodong and Ding Yi.

"I hope to conduct a world tour of my own collection, specific to a certain art form, such as video," he says.

Huang is a Buddhist. His mother influenced his religious beliefs. His house still contains many sculptures of the Buddha.

He spends half his time on art and the rest on his business, which is involved in the cultural, entertainment and investment sectors. His aim is to list the company in Hong Kong.

He travels frequently for business and to expand his collection. He owns a high-end club in Chengdu where he displays his collections and shares them with his friends, many of whom are from the financial sector.

Huang's Art Chengdu fair next year will work with 30 galleries worldwide to showcase works that appeal to young people.

"I often feel tired and want to sleep for a day," says Huang. "But I feel my energy return very quickly when I think about art."

Stellar draw

Ying Qinglan has been featured in fashion and lifestyle magazines, which complements her familiarity with the celebrity scene.

She is the co-founder of Art021, a popular annual art fair in Shanghai that attracts a stellar crowd. Ying is also a celebrity collector of sorts in her circle of friends, many of whom are from the fashion scene.

Ying organized an art award for young Chinese artists, supported by luxury car brand Porsche, in late August.

The Shanghai native says she still has a lot to learn and needs time to set up her collection systematically and at her own pace.

"For me, collecting art is actually a humble and private affair," says Ying, adding that she owns several hundred works.

Ying's mother worked in a government culture department and has many connections with art circles. She also buys artwork, mainly figurative paintings.

Ying's first purchase followed in the footsteps of her mother. She bought an oil portrait of herself. In 2012, she bought a painting by influential Chinese artist Zhang Enli in Switzerland, and that inspired her passion to collect more.

She frequently attends gallery exhibitions and fairs, and often flies overseas for shows.

"Visiting shows is a kind of lifestyle that I share with my friends. We often go together," says Ying. Friends from the fashion and entertainment fields, whom she has influenced to collect art, include celebrity model Xi Mengyao, who has modeled for lingerie label Victoria's Secret.

Ying says she loves to meet artists. She even appeared in a work by emerging video artist Cheng Ran. Her experience studying abroad has also fueled her interest in international pieces.

"My mother's generation seldom bought works by foreign artists. But we're from the younger generation and go beyond such borders because of our exposure," she says.

Her collection is also largely inspired by her collector husband, Chau, who has a degree in art history from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The couple co-founded art fair Art021, and their C.C. Foundation handles their artwork. Still, the husband and wife have separate collections, reflecting their personal tastes.

"I'm independent and try to develop my own style," says Ying.

Apart from art, she runs a beauty center in Shanghai, offering plastic surgery and skin care services. The center is now cooperating with Tongji University on cell regeneration.

"I'm really happy when I help more people take part in art," she says.

Contact the writer at dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 09/29/2017 page20)