Christie’s 2nd Auction of Important Thai Paintings (15 August 2000)

Christie’s second auction of fine art in Bangkok was held on 30th July 2000 and was titled: Important Thai Paintings, as last year. 
It took place at Erawan Hotel with around 250 persons attending.  Asians constituted around 80 % of the audience, and about half seemed to be Thai, while the other half were other Asians -- in particular Japanese and Singaporeans.  The remaining part consisted of Europeans/Americans/Westerners.

There were 220 artworks by 76 artists on display and for sale.  Most works were paintings, though a few prints and four sculptures were also offered.  Only 100 items were sold at the minimum price requested, i.e. 46 % of the total number of works.  This number must surely be disappointing for Christie’s as well as for many of the artists.  Most of the works were created by artists who are still alive, and several of them were present at the venue -- following the auction with excitement.  Sudjai Chaiyapan (b.1969), Santi Thongsuk (b.1969) and Netikorn Chinyo (b.1962), all represented at Thavibu Gallery, had two works each on display.  All three had one painting sold while the other remained unsold.  

The most expensive painting fetched a price of US$ 137,625.  It was a portrait of HRH the Princess Mother executed by Chakrabhand Posayakrit (b.1943).  The painting was created in 1990 at the request of the chairperson of the Community Health Welfare Foundation, for the purpose of selling at a charity auction.  The high price of this painting is most likely due to the fact that it was a lively and well executed portrait of one of the most respected and beloved persons of the Royal Family in Thailand. 

The only other painting which was sold for more than one million Baht (US$ 25,000), was a painting by Tawee Nandakwang (1925-1991).  His paintings obtained record prices last year, but only one out of four was actually sold this year.  Other sales by well known artists were: Fua Haripitak (1910-1993) sold four out of nine offered, and Suchao Sisganes (1926-1986) sold one out of seven offered.  The only painting by Thawan Dachanee (b.1939) sold for US$ 11,750.  Two out of four paintings by the self-conscious (and over-rated?) artist Chalermchai Kositpipat (b.1955) were sold.  One piquant scandal happened when the painting by Panya Vijinthanasarn (b.1956) was said to be a fake and subsequently withdrawn from the auction. 

The obvious conclusion must be that the overall sale was quite disappointing for Christie’s, the artists themselves, and also for art collectors and investors in Thai contemporary art.  Many items remained unsold, and the prices fetched were mostly lower than could have been expected.  Again, as last year, most buyers seemed to be Thai, reiterating the notion that the Thai contemporary art scene seems to be rather domestic and not very interesting for the international audience.  Judging from Christie’s auctions on Asian Art in Singapore, Indonesian and Vietnamese paintings seem to be more attractive to the international collector.  It should also be mentioned however, that several excellent painters from the younger generation of Thai artists such as Pinaree Sanpitak, Niti Wattuya, Natee Utathit and others, were not represented. 

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