CUI RUZHUO, 77, TOPPED
HURUN CHINA ART LIST
FOR 7
TH
YEAR IN A ROW WITH SALES AT PUBLIC AUCTION OFUS$113MN
ZENG FANZHI, 57, BACK TO TOP 2
,
WITH SALES OF US$39MN,UP 5 PLACES
ZHOU CHUNYA, 66, RANKED 3
RD
WITH SALES OF US$37MN, UP 1 PLACE
LIU YE, 57, RANKED 4
TH
WITH US$31MN
ZHANG XIAOGANG, 63, SAW SALES OFHIS WORKS AT AUCTION DOUBLING TO US$28MN, RISING THREE PLACES TO 5
TH
FAN ZENG, 83, RANKED 6
TH
WITH SALES OF US$20MN, DOWN 14%, AND FELL OUT OF THE TOP 5 FOR THE FIRST TIMEIN 12 YEARS
TOTAL SALES US$470MN, UP 9%
49 ARTISTS SAW THEIR SALES ATAUCTION INCREASE, OF WHICH 8 RETURNED TO THE LIST AND 7 NEW FACES. 51 SAW THEIRSALES DROP
8 FEMALE ARTISTS, 3 MORE THANLAST YEAR
NUMBER OF ARTISTS UNDER 50 YEARSOLD ROSE BY 4 TO 15, UP FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
BEIJING STILL CAPITAL OF CHINA’STOP LIVING ARTISTS, ACCOUNTING FOR 57% OF LIST. JIANGSU SECOND WITH 7
YONGLE AUCTION SOLD 6 OF THE TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVEWORKS OF LIVING ARTISTS
26 LIVING ARTISTS ARE AMONG THE
HURUNBEST-SELLING CHINESE ARTISTS
, 4 MORE THAN LAST YEAR
272 ARTISTS HAVE MADE THE
HURUNCHINA ART LIST
TO DATE, OFWHICH 26 HAVE PASSED AWAY. 28 HAVE BEENON LIST FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS, AND 14 HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST FOR 14CONSECUTIVE YEARS
WORLD AUTHORITY ON WEALTH CREATION HURUN RESEARCHINSTITUTE LAUNCHED THE
HURUN CHINA ART LIST 2021
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Cui Ruzhuo
, 77, topped the
Hurun ChinaArt List
for the 7th year in a row with a turnover of US$113mn, more than double that of last year. A 2017 piece by Cui became the most expensive work by a living artist last year sold by YongleAuction for US$27.6mn. 5 of the Top 10 most expensive works by a living artistlast year were by Cui Ruzhuo, who also ranked 8
th
in the
Hurun Best-Selling Chinese Artists
.
l
Zeng Fanzhi
, 57, ranked 2
nd
with US$39mn, up 5 places. Zeng entered the Top 2 again after two years.One of his workswas the fourth most expensive work by a living artist last year, sold by YongleAuction for US$23mn.
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The cut-off to make the Top 50 and the Top 100 both hit a record low. Tomake the Top 50 required US$1.2mn, a decrease of 20% from last year andone-sixth of the highest peak in 2012. To make the Top 100 required just US$135,000,half of last year and less than 20% of the highest peak in 2015.
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The proportion of oil painting artists on the list surpassed Chinese inkartists for the first time in ten years. Oil painters accounted for 52% thisyear, with 54 artists, 7 more than last year; Chinese ink artists accounted for43%, with 45 artists, 6 fewer than last year. Many do both, including
ZhuYaokui
,
Huang Jiannan
,
Liu Guosong
, and
Ai Xuan
.
l
4 sculptors made the list, the same as last year. 83-year-old
Zhu Ming
ranked 23
rd
with a turnover of US$4.2mn, up two places from lastyear, the only sculptor to make the Top 30.
Xiang Jing
, 53, ranked 88
th
with a turnover of US$323,000, the only female sculptor on the
Hurun ChinaArt List
since records began 14 years ago. The other two sculptors on thelist are: 58-year-old
Li Zhen
(with a turnover of US$2.5mn, ranked 33
rd
)and 59-year-old
Wang Zhan
(with a turnover of US$360,000, ranked 84
th
).Only 8 sculptors have made the
Hurun China Art List
since records began.
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The number of artists under the age of 50 has now risen for two consecutiveyears, and this year has increased by 4 to 15. The youngest is the 35-year-oldfemale oil painter
Mi Qiaoming
, with a turnover of US$1.6mn ranked 45
th
.4 made the Top 30: 42-year-old
Jia Aili
ranked 9
th
with aturnover of US$10.7mn, 46-year-old
Huang Yuxing
ranked 14
th
with a turnover of US$6.2mn, 38-year-old
Hao Liang
ranked 18
th
with a turnover of US$4.8mn, and 49-year-old
Liu Wei
with a turnover of US$2.8mnranked 28
th
.
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3 are over 90 years old, 1 less than last year. The oldest is 101-year-oldink painter
Sun Qifeng
, with a turnover of US$2.7mn ranked 30
th
,and
Sun Qifeng
has been on the list 10 times. The other two are the97-year-old
Huang Yongyu
(with a turnover of US$4.8mn, ranked 20
th
)and the 90-year-old
Shen Peng
(with a turnover of US$1mn, ranking 53
rd
).
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The average age is 65 years old, one year younger than last year.
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Beijing
is the city where the most artists were born andlived. The list of artists living in
Beijing
this year is still ahead ofother cities with 57, although 2 less than last year;
Jiangsu
rose tosecond with 7;
Guangdong
dropped 3 from last year to 5, falling tothird; The number of
Tianjin
and
Shanghai
remained unchanged, andtied for third place with Guangdong. Shandong is on the list this year, with 1artist.
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13 artists were born in
Beijing
, the number is the same as lastyear;
Jiangsu
ranked second for the third consecutive year, with anincrease of 2 to 12 artists from last year;
Shanghai
rose to third, with1 increasing from last year to 8 artists;
Shandong
dropped to fourth,there are 3 fewer than last year, to 6 artists.
Shaanxi
has increased by2 this year to 5 artists, ranking 12
th
from last year to 5
th
with
Guangdong
,
Liaoning
,
Sichuan
and
Chongqing
this year.
Jiangxi
is on the list this year, with 1 artist.
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The
Central Academy of Fine Arts
has more alumni than any other artinstitution. This year, 31 artists studied there, an increase of 4 from lastyear; followed by
Nanjing University of the Arts
and
Sichuan FineArts Institute
, each with 6 on the list.The fourth place isTianjin
Academy of Fine Arts
and
China Academy of Art
, each with4.
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Among the auction houses that sold the Top 10 most expensive works ofliving artists,
Yongle
Auction
became the biggest winner and 6of them were sold, with a total turnover of nearly US$11mn
; China Guardian also sold 2 of them, with a total turnover of US$1.9mn;the other 2 were sold by Beijing Poly and Christie's Hong Kong.
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52 artists have beenon the
Hurun China Art List
more than 8 or more times, of which,
28have been on the list 10 times:
Cui Ruzhuo
,
Zeng Fanzhi
,
ZhouChunya
,
Liu Ye
,
Zhang Xiaogang
,
Fan Zeng
,
Liu Wei
,
Huang Yongyu
,
Zhu Ming
,
Jin Shangyi
,
Luo Zhongli
,
HeJiaying
,
Wang Ziwu
,
Shi Guoliang
,
Shang Yang
,
AiXuan
,
Fang Lijun
,
Wang Mingming
,
Xu Lele
,
Shen Peng
,
Wang Yidong
,
Fang Chuxiong
,
Fan Yang
,
Jia Youfu
,
HuoChunyang
,
Lin Yong
,
Tian Liming
and
Liu Dawei
.
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Of the
Hurun Best-Selling Chinese Artists
, a list of the Top 100artists from Chinese history (featuring both living and dead Chinese artists),
Zhang Daqian
's turnover fell 12% from last year, but he stilltopped the list for the seventh time with US$223mn.
Chang Yu
ranked 2
nd
with US$199mn.
Wu Guanzhong
ranked 3
rd
with US$164mn.
(1 June 2021, Shanghai) The Hurun Research Institute today launched the
Hurun Most Successful Chinese Living Artists 2021
, a ranking of the top 100 Chinese artists alive today based on thesales of their works at public auction in the year ending 31 December 2020.CAFA National Institute of Art and Cultural Policy provided the data. This is the fourteenth year of the
Hurun ChinaArt List
.
In 2020, after a bleak first half of the year,the Chinese art market recovered in the second half of the year, ending up 2%, accordingto Art Market Monitor of Artron.
The total turnover of the 100 artists on the
Hurun Most Successful Chinese Living Artists 2021
was US$470mn, an increase of 9% over last year. The entry threshold hit a record low of US$135,000, which was a half year-on-year decline. The turnover of six artists exceeded CNY
￥
100mn, 1 less than last year. A total of 272 artists have been on the
Hurun Most Successful Chinese Living Artists
for 14 years.
Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman and Chief Researcher of Hurun Report, said: “Just under a third of the
Hurun China Art List
are now under the age of 50, suggesting that anew generation of artists are beginning to make their mark.”
“Whilst wealth has increased exponentially in the past decade, the price of Chinese art has not grown. In fact, the cut-off to make the Top 50 or Top 100 was at its lowest ever, perhaps due to the lack of good art coming to market inrecent years.”
This is an English language summary of the full Chinese press release which can be found at www.hurun.net. Please note percentage changes of the sales totalsis using the Chinese Yuan figures comparing this year and last. For media inquiries please contact our public relations team whose contact details can befound at the end of this report.
Hurun Most Successful Chinese Living Artists 2021
2 of the Top 10 are newcomers, of which Mao Yan,a 53-year-old oil painter who has been on the list seven times, entered the Top10 for the first time with an increase of 1043%. The average increase of theTop 10 was 164%. The average age is 65, and is 2 years younger than the average age of the Top 10 last year. 8 of the Top 10 are oil painters are the same as last year. 8 of the Top 10 live in Beijing, and the other 2 live in Sichuan and Jiangsu.
Cui Ruzhuo
, 77, topped the
Hurun China Art List
for the 7th year in a rowwith a turnover of US$113mn. A 2017 piece by Cui became the most expensive workby living artists last year sold by Yongle Auction, selling for US$27.6mn. CuiRuzhuo's total turnover in 2020 has increased significantly compared with theprevious year, an increase of US$64mn, an increase of 132%, which is US$74mnhigher than the second place.
Zeng Fanzhi
, 57, ranked 2
nd
with US$39mn, up 5 places. Zeng entered the Top 2 again after two years. He hasbeen nominated for the
Hurun China Art List
for 14 consecutive years,and he was topped the list in 2014. One of his works was the fourth mostexpensive work of a living artist last year, and it was sold by Yongle Auctionfor US$23mn.
Zhou Chunya
, 66, ranked 3
rd
with US$37mn, up 1place. His total turnover in 2020 has increased by 55%compared to the previous year. Half of his total turnover came from the twomost expensive works, which were sold for US$12.5mn and US$6mn respectively. ZhouChunya has made the list for the 14th consecutive year, topping it in 2013.
Liu Ye
, 57, had a turnover of 35% lower than the previousyear, to US$31mn, and his ranking dropped by two places to fourth. Liu Ye has been listed on the
Hurun China Art List
for 14 consecutiveyears. One of his 2008 works was sold by Sotheby's Hong Kong for US$6mn lastyear, and a 2001 work was sold by Christie's Hong Kong for US$3mn last year.
Zhang Xiaogang
, 63, the turnoverincreased by 108% over last year to US$28mn, rising three places to 5
th
.Zhang Xiaogang has been listed in the
Hur
un China
Art List
for 14 consecutive years. He was topped the list in 2009. This year is the first time Zhang Xiaogang has returned to the Top 5 since 2009. A 1995 work by Zhang Xiaogang was sold by Christie's Hong Kong for US$12mn last year.
Fan Zeng
, 83, ranked 6
th
with a turnover of US$20mn, down 14% from last year, and fell out of the Top 5for the first time in 12 years. Fan Zeng has been listed for the 14th consecutive year in the
Hurun China Art List
, and he was topped the listin 2011 and 2012.
Liu Xiaodong
, 58, the turnover increased by 35%, ranking seventh with US$13.4mn, up three places from lastyear. Nearly 90% of his total turnover came from a 2004 work sold by YongleAuction. Liu Xiaodong has been listed in the
Hurun China Art List
for 13times. The highest ranking was in 2009 and he was ranked 6
th
.
Zhu Yaokui
, 89, had a turnover of 11% lower than last year and ranked 8
th
with US$11mn, upone place from last year. This year is the third consecutive year that Zhu Yaokui has been listed in the
Hurun China Art List
, and his ranking hasrisen continuously.
Jia Aili
, 42, total turnover increased by 182% over last year, ranking ninth with US$10.7mn, up 18places from last year. This is the first time that Jia Aili has entered the Top10. A 2010 work by Jia Aili was sold by Yongle Auction for US$3.1mn last year,and a 2006 work was sold by Beijing Poly for US$3mn last year.
Mao Yan
, 53, total turnover increased by 1043% over lastyear, ranked 10
th
with US$8.4mn, up 62 places over last year. This is the first time that Mao Yan has entered the Top 10.
52 artists have been listed on the
Hurun China Art List
more than 8 times (including 8 times). Among them, 28 artists have been on the list in the past ten years. They are:
Cui Ruzhuo
,
Zeng Fanzhi
,
Zhou Chunya
,
Liu Ye
,
Zhang Xiaogang
,
Fan Zeng
,
Liu Wei
,
HuangYongyu
,
Zhu Ming
,
Jin Shangyi
,
Luo Zhongli
,
He Jiaying
,
Wang Ziwu
,
Shi Guoliang
,
Shang Yang
,
Ai Xuan
,
FangLijun
,
Wang Mingming
,
Xu Lele
,
Shen Peng
,
WangYidong
,
Fang Chuxiong
,
Fan Yang
,
Jia Youfu
,
HuoChunyang
,
Lin Yong
,
Tian Liming
and
Liu Dawei
. The other 24 artists who have been on the list more than 8 times (including 8 times) are:
LiuXiaodong
,
Mao Yan
,
Feng Dazhong
,
Chen Danqing
,
HuangJiannan
,
He Duoling
,
Yue Minjun
,
Sun Qifeng
,
LiuGuosong
,
Cai Guoqiang
,
Shi Qi
,
Ren Zhong
,
WangGuangyi
,
Xu Bing
,
Wang Yong
,
Yu Jigao
,
Wang Xijing
,
Yin Chaoyang
,
Leng Jun
,
Feng Yuan
,
Xue Liang
,
DingYi
,
Yang Feiyun
and
Jiang Hongwei
.
