Young at art

Huang Yu (top left) holds a show displaying some of his 300-odd pieces in Chengdu in 2016. Now he's working to set up the annual Art Chengdu art fair from next year. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A new generation of Chinese collectors is making its mark. Deng Zhangyu reports.

One of them is launching a major international art fair－touted as the first of its kind in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province.

Another one is behind Artcare, a company providing bespoke services for art collectors. A third is looking to the fifth edition of a celebrity-studded art fair she set up with her husband in Shanghai.

These are just a few among the growing number of young collectors coming to the fore of China's art market. The country's market recorded a turnover of $4.9 billion to surpass that of the United States and take the lead globally, says the 2016 Global Art Market Annual Report, issued by art price database Artprice.

Such collectors as Art Chengdu's Huang Yu, 36; Artcare's 36-year-old Tong Chi Kar, who is from the high-end property company, Tomson Group; and 37-year-old Ying Qinglan, and her husband, David Chau, in Shanghai, are among the leading contributors to China's art market. They not only buy art but also contribute to the contemporary art ecosystem.

"The young collectors who are frequently reported on by media are only the tip of an iceberg. The group increases in size every year. More join in, influenced by their peers, who love to share their art collections with the public," says Li Yanfeng, general manager of the 20th-century and contemporary Chinese art department of auction house China Guardian Auctions.

Unlike their predecessors, who often bought Chinese art at auction houses and shared their purchases with a small circle of friends, younger collectors prefer to spend more on contemporary works at galleries and art fairs, where they can interact with artists and visit various art shows.

The younger generation－many members of which hail from wealthy or art families－share a lot in common, says Li. They are usually well-educated, confident about their tastes and open to all mediums and artists, regardless of nationality.

"They grew up in the internet era. They're eager to share art with others," adds Li.

In recent years, more young Chinese collectors have also set up private museums, displayed personal collections and given speeches about their experience in the field.

"They see art as part of their life. It's a kind of lifestyle to meet their spiritual needs beyond their material riches."