RAW: How is the art investment scene in Hong Kong? JM: The art investment scene is becoming very big and it has a long way to go. If you look back at the 18 months we’ve been in business, we’ve seen a huge amount of interest in auction halls and galleries. Nowadays, our company is the talk of the town. With great galleries moving into Hong Kong, more and more people are becoming interested in art. Chinese contemporary art is a new product and it’s a new trend for the Chinese to buy art. The clients are also knowledgeable about it, as they’ve been in certain courses and they can read and understand what’s going on in this field.
RAW: Are there specific types of works that are popu lar in the market at the moment? JM: We specialize in mid-career contemporary Chinese art, mostly oil paintings. RAW: How do buyers usual ly select art?
RAW: What advice wou ld you give to someone who wants to get into this market?
JM: There are two sides: emotional buyers and non-emotional buyers. If you look at it purely from a business point of view, the track record is key to purchasing art.
JM: -Always buy the best that you can afford: you’ve probably heard the word ‘quality’ many times—if you buy quality, it should always end up being a good investment. -Do your research and do your due diligence: when considering an artist, google the artist as much as you can and do your own homework. -Make sure that you are buying art for the right reasons: if you’re buying for your home and want to put it on your wall, consider the size of the artwork as Hong Kong homes are small. If it’s for investment, focus on the track records of the artist.
RAW: Do clients main ly take your advice? JM: Previously, people were very skeptical of the market over the last five years, but now it’s becoming very fashionable to purchase art. RAW: How shou ld people evaluate a ‘good’ investment? JM: You can’t let your emotions take over—consider auction output, gallery invitations and how much the artist has sold for in the past. RAW: How do you evaluate the artists who are new to the scene and don’t have such prominent track records? JM: We have an artist called Lin Chunhai, he has hardly any auction output, but his work is fine and remarkable. He has won major awards over the years, but his auction output is very little, which means that we are holding his work rather than ‘spinning’ the work.
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ART SAVVY
artfuturesgroup.com Written by Aurora Van Kerckhove Photography by Joyce Yung