London celebrates Asian art on 25th anniversary

Galleries and auction houses are celebrating the 25th edition of Asian Art in London in the United Kingdom, welcoming art lovers and collectors back to the capital post-pandemic.

There are 48 participants this year, specializing in Indian and Islamic art and also East Asian art.

Cromwell Place in South Kensington is hosting a series of exhibitions as part of the Asian Art in London event. Galleries include SA Fine Arts, Anastasia von Siebold, Schoeni Projects, Michael Goedhuis and Alisan Fine Arts.

Elizabeth Dellert, director of membership and business development at Cromwell Place, said: "We have a real sense of community here, we've got 15 gallery spaces, all of them activated this week. That's a great cross-pollination of databases and collectors, so we're really telling a story, helping them shape the narrative and finding a great platform for sales."

The Michael Goedhuis gallery is presenting an exhibition that includes a group of Chinese contemporary ink paintings by the leading artists working in this category at Cromwell Place.

Gallery owner Goedhuis said: "Chinese contemporary ink painting has been described as the most idealistic and intellectually daring of any art being produced in contemporary culture in China today. Also included will be French and English artists who have been attracted to and influenced by this central element within Chinese culture."

Visitors will also be able to view drawings by Tim Yip, an Oscarwinner for his art direction of the 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Yip will also be attending the event.

"We have long believed that the adventurous experiments of this generation of ink artists, leading to their development of a new and revolutionary pictorial language, would have an impact on artists in the West, and this exhibition at Cromwell Place has given us an opportunity to exhibit French and British artists who have proved just that," Goedhuis said.

Meanwhile, Alisan Fine Arts is showing work by seven international contemporary Chinese artists as well as a new generation of female artists.

Dellert said that Cromwell Place, an exhibition hub and art space, provides a platform for Asian artists and galleries: "Cromwell Place is a light-touch, low-commitment, practical solution for doing business in the UK. We have all the facilities and services any gallery would need to just stage an exhibition without the commitment of overheads."

Asian Art in London also introduced two new initiatives promoting the next generation of dealers and collectors. Auction houses such as Bonhams, Christie's and Sotheby's are all holding their Asian art sales.

There is also a special exhibition in collaboration with Japan House, The Art of Collecting: Japan.

Henry Howard-Sneyd, chair of Asian Art in London, said: "This year looks to be a truly 'vintage' year as we look back on those dynamic 25 years, but also as we contemplate what the future brings as we look to the next 25 years with new participants and many younger members."

Asian Art in London will run until Saturday.