Abstract:
As the post-war and contemporary art markets hit historic highs in terms of sales prices and volume, there has been a growing curiosity about who is buying and selling these works. One of the major contributors to the increase of the contemporary art market are Chinese [including Hong Kong] collectors. These collectors are generally classified in two groups; The First Generation and Millennials, both possessing internationally acclaimed collections of contemporary art, and active in the global art community. Not only are they actively buying contemporary art they are also constructing private top tier-museums, revitalizing a stagnant contemporary art market, patronizing young artists, and sharing collections with the general public. These developments have begun to be recognized by global institutions, such as museums, academia, and government agencies.

As Chinese collectors of contemporary art begin to build seminal collections of both Asian and Western pieces, sole attention has shifted away from traditional classical paintings, Maoist Revolutionary imagery, and antiquities. Rather to works produced after World War II, creating an individual reflection and interpretation of what is art within China and Hong Kong. This is significant as the collectors are redefining the culture of localized collections that have traditionally manifested a certain degree of “Chinese nationalism”, into an amalgamation of globalized and sophisticated content highlighting modernity. This study looks to emphasize the historical narrative and social significance of contemporary art collecting post 1980 in China and Hong Kong, through the lens of a collector, and their relationship with the government, and long-term cultural impact domestically and internationally.