Who Are the Top 10 Most Expensive Living Chinese Artists at Auction?

Chinese artists yielded $4.3 billion in sales worldwide for 2014.

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Cui Ruzhuo, 丹枫白雪 (Landscape in Snow) (2006), sold at Poly Auction in Hong Kong on April 7, 2014, for $23,725,710.
Photo: artnet.
Zeng Fanzhi, The Last Supper (2001) sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on October 5, 2013, for $23,269,070.
Photo: artnet.
Jin Shangyi, 百开团扇镜心 Tajik Bride (1983) sold at China Guardian Auctions Co., Ltd. on November 16, 2013, for $13,967,306.
Photo: artnet.
Zhang Xiaogang, Bloodline: Big Family No. 3 (1995) sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on April 5, 2014, for $12,144,809.
Photo: artnet.
Cai Guo-Quiang, Drawing for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (2002) sold at Christie's Hong Kong on November 25, 2007, for $9,545,957.
Photo: artnet.
Liu Xiaodong, Disobeying the Rules (1996) sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on Sunday, October 5, 2014, for $8,530,818.
Photo: artnet.
Fang Lijun, Series 2 No. 4 (1992) sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on October 5, 2014, for $7,664,849.
Photo: artnet.
Luo Zhongli, 春蚕(又名《母亲》) (1983) sold at Poly International Auction Co., Ltd. on June 1, 2014, for $6,994,462.
Photo: artnet.
Yue Minjun, Gweong-Gweong (1993) sold at Christie's Hong Kong on May 24, 2008, for $6,932,517.
Photo: artnet.
Shen Yaoyi, Revolution Tops All (1975–76) sold at China Guardian Auctions Co., Ltd. on May 15, 2012, for $6,368,368.
Photo: artnet.

While the United States remains the largest market for the sale of fine art by value, the Chinese market has continued to hold its own at the number two position. Even with declining sales over the past two years, the sheer volume of China’s market has kept it firmly in place.

Chinese artists have become a force to be reckoned with worldwide as well, yielding a tremendous $4.3 billion in sales for 2014.

Who are the top 10 most expensive living Chinese artists at auction? artnet News was keen to find out. With the help of artnet’s Analytics team and Fine Art and Design Price Database, we perused auction results from 2005 to 2014 and have selected the top 10 artists by lot. The results are below.

 

1. Cui Ruzhuo
丹枫白雪 (Landscape in Snow) (2006) sold at Poly Auction in Hong Kong on April 7, 2014, for $23,725,710.

2. Zeng Fanzhi
The Last Supper (2001) sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on October 5, 2013, for $23,269,070.

3. Jin Shangyi
Tajik Bride (1983) sold at China Guardian Auctions Co., Ltd. on November 16, 2013, for $13,967,306.

4. Zhang Xiaogang
Bloodline: Big Family No. 3 (1995) sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on April 5, 2014, for $12,144,809.

5. Cai Guo-Qiang
Drawing for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (2002) sold at Christie’s Hong Kong on November 25, 2007, for $9,545,957.

6. Liu Xiaodong
Disobeying the Rules (1996) sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on Sunday, October 5, 2014, for $8,530,818.

7. Fang Lijun
Series 2 No. 4 (1992) sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on October 5, 2014, for $7,664,849.

8. Luo Zhongli
Spring Silkworm (Mother) (1983) sold at Poly International Auction Co., Ltd. on June 1, 2014, for $6,994,462.

9. Yue Minjun
 Gweong-Gweong (1993) sold at Christie’s Hong Kong on May 24, 2008, for $6,932,517.

10. Shen Yaoyi
Revolution Tops All (1975–1976) sold at China Guardian Auctions Co., Ltd. on May 15, 2012, for $6,368,368.

 

If you’d like to learn more about these artists, their top lots, and past sales records, we recommend checking out the artnet Price Database and conducting your own investigation.


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