Nan Nan

there_sun@163.com

THANKS to the popularity of Chinese contemporary artists Zhao Wuji, Zhu Dequn and others over the past two decades, the Chinese market for abstract fine art is growing fast, according to Alberto Annesi, managing director of PAPKVIEW ART Hong Kong.

“Chinese abstract art is enthusiastically welcomed by art lovers everywhere. Westerners are fascinated by the Chinese-style imagery and Chinese collectors accept art styles they are familiar with more easily,” Annesi said.

Following this trend, PAPKVIEW ART Hong Kong will shift their focus to Asian and international abstract art starting from this fall. The gallery just made its return to the mainland market at Art Shenzhen 2017, a contemporary art exhibition that was held in Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center from Sept. 16 to 18.

In order to promote abstract art, the gallery has a selection of works by famous Chinese abstract artists Zhao, Mao Lizi and Ma Kelu as well as well-known names in the international art scene, such as French-Swiss abstract artist Amelie Duccomun and so on.

Abstract art is uniquely beautiful. It is so personal that each piece talks in different ways to different people, said Annesi.

Traditional Chinese cultural elements such as Taoist philosophy and ink are widely used in Chinese abstract art, said Annesi. Take the painting “Ambiguous Flower” by Mao for example. The artist conveys intense movement and emotion through a lotus flower, which is one of the most significant flowers in the Chinese culture.

In Western culture, every color elicits a different and unique emotion. For example, Chinese artist Ma, who started to work on abstract art in the United States in the 1980s, has created fierce works using abstract strokes in bright yellow, his son’s favorite color, to express and overcome the pain of losing his son.

The gallery will later join hands with more famous artists and experts to hold diverse exhibitions on abstract art. There will be an exhibition of German artist John Franzen’s works by the end of this month. The gallery will also cooperate with Peking University professor Peng Feng to hold a Chinese abstract art exhibition in 2018. Besides, the gallery’s website and future public lectures also offer more in-depth information on abstract art.