How to buy Chinese art for less
You've heard of a supermarket, but ever been to an art supermarket? If you're looking to start an art collection, Zendai could be your new BFF.Over the last decade, Chinese artworks have become a hot commodity. But if you don't have a million kwai (or even RMB 10,000) to spend, it's easy to think that buying a piece of the Chinese art market will break your budget.
So with the help of some of Shanghai's best-known gallerists, we offer up eight tips for starting a Chinese art collection for less -- much less.
Tip 1: Look online for bargains
One reason it's difficult to find affordable art in Shanghai's galleries is because they have to pay such high rents to operate in the city; it's in their best interests to sell works from established artists they know will sell for the highest prices.
Some of the best bargains can be found online, particularly from sites that focus on young artists. One example is Bound Editorial, which currently stocks prints from locally-based photographers available from RMB 250.
The NeochaEDGE collective also includes some of China's most exciting young artists.
“Most of the work on our site is available for between RMB 500 and RMB 2,000 for a print,” says Adam J. Schokora, CEO and co-founder of NeochaEDGE. “For original works, it can get a bit more expensive, but usually nothing over RMB 10,000. Most original stuff is less than RMB 5,000.”
Tip 2: Zendai Art Supermarket
The stated aim of this large-scale art warehouse is to “Make original art more accessible,” which makes it a great option for discovering young artists and finding art bargains.
“They have some quirky little drawings and paintings and contemporary and Chinese traditional furniture and ceramics,” says Rebecca Catching, Director of OV Gallery. “It's really worth a browse around, I would say it leans a bit more popular but I've seen paintings there that I definitely thought were cute.”
The sheer amount of art available at Zendai (No. 28, Lane, 199 Fangdain Lu, near Dingxiang Lu 芳甸路199弄28号 近丁香路, +86 21 5033 6156) means that even if it's not all to your taste, investing some time and effort to find the diamonds among the duds is very worthwhile.
Tip 3: Choose the right medium
Drawings, photography, works on paper and smaller-sized artworks are all generally more affordable than oil paintings or giant sculptures.
“For more affordable works you should be looking at smaller sizes or a more economic medium,” says Leslie Kuo, gallery manager of Leo Gallery. “I actually think process sketches are really cool.”
Michelle Ni, the proprietor of FQ Projects, agrees.
“Under RMB 5,000, there are some small works on paper or editorial works, such as etchings, silk screens, photography and woodcut prints that are well worth buying,” he says.
At OV Gallery, Catching points out some very pretty digital prints from Ben Houge and watercolors on paper by Qian Rong as examples of more affordable mediums, available for less than RMB 5,000.
Tip 4: Buy what you like
This is the most common advice from all the experts we spoke to.
But sometimes, for people without a background in art, it can be hard to know exactly how to find out what it is you like. Catching advises seeing as much art as possible in order to develop your aesthetic.
“See a lot of shows, learn how to look very carefully and you'll find over time that your taste starts to evolve,” she suggests. “The more you see, the more you understand.”
Ni suggests finding a gallerist you trust to help guide you through the process of buying art for the first time, an idea Kuo agrees with.
Kuo says that not only can you tell a lot about what you like by what galleries and gallerists you like, but it also “really enhances the experience of buying art when you have a relationship with the gallerist.”
