Painting up for auction is not mine, artist says

SHANGHAI - Record-breaking contemporary artist Zhang Xiaogang said a purported painting of his to be auctioned in Beijing was in fact a fake.

The portrait of a young girl was among the modern and contemporary artworks that Beijing Tranthy International Auction Co Ltd had gathered for its autumn auction.

On Tuesday, a Sina micro blogger asked Zhang to authenticate the painting. He replied on the website: "It's a bad fake at first sight. Poorly done. How dare someone put it up for auction."