Auction Sales of South East Asian Paintings (1 November 07)

This article aims at looking into sales records for South East Asian paintings at international auctions  - Christie's and Sotheby's.  Auctions are held regularly in Singapore and Hong Kong, usually twice yearly.  Browsing through sales catalogues reveals that the first country in terms of paintings featured at the auctions, is Indonesia.  Some of the Indonesian paintings were by old European and Dutch artists who used to live in Indonesia, in particular Bali. However, many younger Indonesians are represented as well.  There is a strong domestic market for Indonesian paintings, and Indonesian collectors travel frequently to attend auctions. 

The second country on the list is Vietnam, and here the situation is rather different from Indonesia.  This is not mainly a domestic market, but more international since there are few Vietnamese collectors at the auctions.  Here too we find old works by European, mostly French, artists who lived in Vietnam - or French Indochina as it was known as.  However, contemporary Vietnamese artists of younger generations have also started to make their marks. 

A search at reveals that the following artists whose works are sold at Thavibu Gallery, have had paintings featured at the international auction houses. 

Updated November, 2007

Number of paintings sold may be lower than number of paintings featured since works are sometimes offered for sale, but there is no buyer.  From the table, it is apparent that Vietnamese artists do much better than Burmese and Thai at international auctions.  It does not necessarily mean however, that Vietnamese art is better than Burmese and Thai.  There is a certain style of paintings that is in favour at the international auctions.  In South East Asia, this often implies beautiful paintings, in particular with women and landscapes in a lush, romantic setting.  Obviously, social-political works from Thailand which are far from "beautiful" will not have the same appeal to this group of collectors. 

It is always difficult to make predictions for the future, but with an intimate knowledge of the art scene in these three countries and the market, I have a few suggestions.  Nguyen Trung is an excellent artist so his works should continue to be in high demand.  Le Vuong's paintings are attractive and will likely sell well.  Hong Viet Dung's paintings are constantly in high demand, so they will probably sell on a regular basis, although the subjects are limited in range.  As for Nguyen Thanh Binh, he has great potential with some of his works.  He is prolific and the quality is sometimes uneven.  His best works though, are masterpieces.  Look out for new artists, such as the lacquer painters Dinh Quan and Trinh Tuan.

U Lun Gywe stands out among the Burmese artists.  He is an old master, and his works will surely be sold at auctions more frequently in the future.  His works are a bargain at today's prices.  Other Burmese artists may follow later, but it will likely take some time.  Aung Kyaw Htet is a younger artist to look out for.  Thai art is diverse in terms of media and expression, perhaps the most diverse in the region.  There are not many Thai artists however, who are likely to make it to the auction houses where the style tilts towards the romantic sphere. 

A word of caution.  There are strong indications that fakes are being made, even of works by young contemporary painters.  The problem is particularly acute in Vietnam.  Fake Vietnamese paintings have likely been sold at the auction houses and will probably continue to be.  Provenance and reputable art dealers are of paramount importance.