Crossing the border to paint a picture of success

Mainland auction houses operating in Hong Kong are registering strong performances in the face of tough competition from major international brands, as Chitralekha Basu reports.

Buyers from the Chinese mainland are increasingly on the radars of art dealers across the globe, and the phenomenon is probably most apparent in Hong Kong, which acts as a vital conduit between the mainland and the rest of the world.

According to Gary Yee, CEO of Art Serindia, a consultancy in Hong Kong, all auction houses - including big international players and homegrown Chinese brands - are now competing for the attention of mainland buyers.