Oct 2022

Exceptional quality art and antiques at Fine Art Asia 2022

Hong Kong, 14 October 2022 – Fine Art Asia 2022, Asia’s leading international art fair, was successfully staged from 4 – 8 October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. With travel restrictions due to Covid-19 only removed just before the fair, the focus was on Hong Kong’s excellent art and antiques galleries, as well as its leading art institutions.

Sean Scully (b. 1945)
Untitled
8.30.89
Watercolour and graphite on paper

Sold at Fine Art Asia 2022 by
Tanya Baxter Contemporary, London/Hong Kong

 

Green crackle-glazed
bottle vase
Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

Sold at Fine Art Asia 2022 by
Ming Gallery,
Hong Kong

Roger Ballen (b. 1950)
Little One
1976
Silver gelatin print

Sold at Fine Art Asia 2022 by Boogie Woogie Photography, Hong Kong

 

Fine Art Asia 2022 presented an impressive collection of fine art spanning 5,000 years of cultural history from the Neolithic period to the present day. Showcased at the fair were world-class Asian and Western antiques, jewellery, modern and contemporary art and design, ink art and photography. More than 13,000 visitors attended the fair, including collectors, connoisseurs, celebrities and art lovers who enjoyed the wide variety of art and antiques on display.

The Private Preview on 4 October was a resounding success, attracting more than 4,000 VIP guests, showing the tremendous interest and support for the art market in Hong Kong.

Sales at Fine Art Asia 2022

In the Antiques section, Lam’s Gallery was successful in selling 2 sets of exquisite Tang Dynasty (618-907) pottery dancers; while Ming Gallery sold a green crackle-glazed bottle vase dating from the Qianlong period (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty.  Overall, however, the Hong Kong antiques market remains severely affected by the closure of the border with Mainland China. All the leading Hong Kong dealers hope that following the recent lifting of hotel quarantine allowing global visitors to return, the border to Mainland China will be reopened soon.

Meanwhile, sales of Modern and Contemporary Art were buoyant at the fair, with several galleries reporting encouragingly strong results. Alisan Fine Arts sold all its works by Hong Kong artist Hon Chi-Fun (1922-2019), including the catalogue piece Tai Po.  The gallery also sold paintings by Wang Tiande, Wang Mengha, Tai Xiangzhou and Winnie Mak.

Contemporary by Angela Li reported selling at least one or two, if not more, pieces from most of their exhibited artists – Cheung Tsz Hin, Fantina Kong, Kwong Man Chun, Leung Po Ying Agnes, Wong Sze Wai and Angela Yuen. Their striking catalogue piece White Tiger by Wong Sze Wai (b. 1990) in ink, water-based colour, colour pigments and clay on canvas was among the works sold during the fair.

Modern and contemporary British art also found buyers at Tanya Baxter Contemporary (London/Hong Kong) whose exhibition focused on the School of London and Modern British artists. The presentation was highly successful, with sales recorded of works by renowned artists Sean Scully, Bridget Riley, Pip Todd Warmoth and Tracey Emin.

Tanya Baxter commented, “Hong Kong may have suffered from the borders being closed, but it is still geopolitically and economically the bedrock of the Asian art market. It’s sophisticated, keen and powerful … it has history and an international dynamic understanding of the market. I am very positive about the recovery and outlook. The loyalty of collectors and the spending power for serious discerning works is here. We love the fair, the quality this year is really exceptional.”

Grotto Fine Art, focusing on Hong Kong artists, sold several pieces by a number of its exhibited artists, notably a set of 9 works in ink and colour on paper entitled Meta-1 by Yau Wing-fung (b. 1990).  Meanwhile, Hanart TZ Gallery found collectors for multiple prints by emerging artist Lau Hong Lam (b. 1996). Karin Weber Gallery reported good sales, with an improved performance over last year.

Lotus Art, Macau held a solo exhibition for ink artist Feng Zhongyun (b. 1967) and was successful in selling a number of his paintings. Tinny Art House sold Pumpkin, 1990 by iconic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, as well as works by Chen Ke, Minoru Nomata, Okokume and So Youn Lee. Yumekoubou, Kyoto/Hong Kong specialising in Japanese contemporary art sold three works by featured artist Kansuke Fujii.

Boogie Woogie Photography reported a highly successful fair, with sales of works by Japanese photographer Takeshi Shikama, Hong Kong-based landscape photographer Stephen King, as well as works by James Chung, Raymond Cauchetier, Felix Sze Chung Wong and Isabelle Boccon-Gibod. They also sold their catalogue piece, Little One by Roger Ballen (b. 1950).

New exhibitors at Fine Art Asia 2022, Lam’s Gallery, Art Actually and Art Perspective were all thrilled with the atmosphere and high quality of the fair, and will definitely return next year.

 

Special Exhibitions

Fine Art Asia 2022 was proud to be the first art fair in the world to offer a Sandbox Metaverse gaming experience with its special exhibition “Fine Art Asia x Sandbox: Art in the Metaverse”. Visitors were greeted by different Sandbox game characters created with reference to centuries-old antiques, and could also view the corresponding antiques. The exhibition was very successful and received positive feedback from visitors who could take part in the games and travel between reality and the Metaverse. This special exhibition brought a new dimension to art and ancient culture.

Warren Cheng, Director of Fine Art Asia, who organised the exhibition, commented, “Our surprise entry into the Metaverse has proven to be very successful, as we saw many young visitors staying to play the games and learn about Chinese culture. Cultivating and promoting this passion for Chinese art is at the core of our business, and I am very happy to see such a positive result.”

The Ink Society’s special exhibition, “A Tribute to Yu Peng” was another highlight of the fair. This was the sixth instalment of the Society’s “Tribute” series, which celebrates the art and legacies of master ink painters. Yu Peng (1955-2014) was one of the few contemporary ink artists who led a traditional literati life that was re-interpreted for modern day society. As well as painting, he practised design, pottery and woodwork, and built a charming garden that became a haven for friends and fellow artists in the midst of urban Taipei.

 Renowned antique galleries Ming Gallery and Wui Po Kok Antique Co. Ltd. collaborated with Hana Art, a well-known Japanese Sogetsu floral design school in Hong Kong, to organise a special exhibition “The Art of Flowers” which was very well received by visitors. Ming Gallery exhibited vases from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, while Wui Po Kok presented vases from the Neolithic period to the Song Dynasty, enhanced by floral decorations created by Hana Art. The exhibition succeeded in its aim of celebrating Chinese traditional culture through the combined beauty of floral art and antiques.

 

Academic Programme

Fine Art Asia 2022’s Education Partners, The Ink Society and Hong Kong Palace Museum hosted an Academic Programme of lectures and seminars by art experts from Hong Kong, strengthening academic discussion and interaction between scholars, galleries and collectors. The lectures “Modern and Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art” by Dr Lesley Ma and “Palace Museum and Cultural Exchanges between China and the Rest of the World” by Dr Louis Ng, in particular, attracted full audiences.

Summing up, Andy Hei, Founder and Director of Fine Art Asia, said,

“Fine Art Asia 2022 is the third edition of the fair we have held during Covid-19, yet once again we have overcome the challenges and achieved a successful result. Hong Kong is one of the three most important art markets in the world, which gives me confidence in the outlook for Fine Art Asia. As travel restrictions are further relaxed, we anticipate a normal fair next year and very much look forward to welcoming our overseas exhibitors back to Hong Kong.

As well as continuing to support and promote local galleries and art institutions this year, we have launched new initiatives to educate the public about antiques and art, which have received very positive feedback. We aim to deliver a more diversified art fair to all exhibitors, collectors and art lovers in the future.”

– End –