Perspectives on Asian Art

Another from the Wall Street Journal's focus on art

Perspectives on Asian Art

An Interview with Yoshiko Mori
Chairperson and founder, The Mori Museum
Member of The UBS Art Collection Advisory Board

China is very hot, of course- both in terms of artists and buyers. Why do you think that is?

“It is always the case that when the economy of a country is thriving, the contemporary art also thrives. The number of artists increases and the art market becomes active. In China, up until the turn of the century, most of the contemporary art activities were politically restricted. As a result, the artists could not express themselves freely.

But after 2000, the degree of freedom for such activities was dramatically increased, as the authorities started to promote them as a symbol of “New China”. This shift in political thinking provided the artists with an opportunity to produce works with new vision, and those works attracted the attention of collectors and museums. Moreover, when a prosperous economy triggers the price of art to rise dramatically, this leads to artwork becoming the object of speculative investment. Especially in Beijing, the galleries with Western affiliation or Korean capital are growing very rapidly, and that is establishing a direct link with the West.”

Are there other areas of Asia that are also becoming more visible on the international art scene?

“India, which like China has a booming economy, is becoming more conspicuous. The average eight percent annual growth of GDP is creating a new affluence in society, and that has lead to a strong interest in art. Some of this attention will be given to the traditional arts and the leading figures in Indian modern art, but of course, contemporary art will also benefit. In fact, the price of Indian contemporary art is rising. I think the current interest in Asian art was triggered by the introduction of Japanese contemporary art to the international art market in the late 1980s, that was followed by the introduction of Korean and Chinese art.”

What artists and art movements are of particular interest in Asian countries?

“I think it is a time of individualism, and art movements based on great philosophies are not likely to emerge. The characteristic trend of Asia is works with themes of everyday life, or the Manga-animation inspired works of Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, that were created as the result of the fusion of high art and popular culture. This phenomenon can be seen not only in Japan and Korea but also in the broader region including Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. Now, a number of Asian artists have experience studying abroad and they are well versed in the vocabulary of international contemporary art. I think that more artists from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will emerge in the near future. I expect to see contemporary interpretations of their regional traditions – such as miniature and abstract pattern paintings. I am keen to keeping an eye on the artists of the Middle East, as well.”


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