Though global sales for Christie’s auction house fell shy of the company’s goals, sales numbers for Singapore — and Asia as a whole — jumped. This shows a viability of both art in Singapore and the Southeastern Asian region and the inclination for people living in that region to invest in art. Sales of Asian art rose a healthy 9 percent while sales within Asia crept up 2 percent.
The Asia president of the auction house said that Christie’s has come a long way in gaining purchase in the region. Its first Singapore office used to be manned by one person, with one phone, inside a residential house. Now, however, 30 years after that rough beginning, the Singapore office is the largest for Christie’s in the region, with 10 staff members.
Christie’s of Hong Kong recently held a highly successful auction of Singapore artists’ works, garnering millions of dollars in sales — a testament to how art from the region is booming, highly desired and collectible.
Christie’s Asia president says that now is an exciting time for Southeastern Asian art — and Singapore art in particular — across the world. Artists from the area are poised to surprise collectors and other artists around the globe with their creativity and insights, as well as their colorful representations of culture in the area. While Singaporean painters have enjoyed the most focus and success, there are still many culturally rich areas to mine in the country’s art scene, the Christie’s official says.
Singapore will serve as a launching pad for a sharpened focus on arts in the region. Many collectors of Southeastern Asian art are based in Singapore, living and working there, making it an ideal location for renewed emphasis. Since Singapore also enjoys well-established and well-attended art fairs, such as Art Stage Singapore, it allows artists from the region to introduce and exhibit their work.
Christie’s has seen a 14 percent leap in Singapore buyers, showing the willingness of art aficionados living there to invest in art pieces and collect artworks they love. This shows a need to help develop collectors in the country, the Christie’s official said, describing collectors as ranging from the super wealthy to younger, white collar professionals buying pieces for a few thousands dollars.
As Singapore and the rest of Southeastern Asia continue to enjoy a renaissance of sorts in the art world, consider enrolling in an art class today to embrace the trend. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive source of dozens of art classes tailored to each students’ abilities and experience. Whether you have never held a paintbrush or if you’re polishing a portfolio for an art school assignment, expert teachers are on hand and available to work around your schedule to help you meet your creative goals. Art can benefit its practitioners in many unexpected ways, including stress relief, building creative problem solving skills, and much more.
To read more about art buyers, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/christies-base-of-art-buyers-in-singapore-grew-by-14-last-year.