Who are Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei?
Liu Yiqian is a Chinese billionaire renowned for his success as an investor and art collector. He has accumulated his wealth over the years, starting from the mid-1980s, through ventures in stock trading, real estate, and pharmaceuticals. Liu's wealth was primarily amassed through investments in the stock market during China's economic boom in the early 1990s. As the chairman of the Shanghai-based investment company Sunline Group, which maintains a diverse portfolio encompassing pharmaceuticals, financial services, and properties, he embarked on his art collecting journey. His first foray into the world of art auctions occurred in 1994 in Beijing when he acquired a Chinese calligraphy work by Guo Moruo and a Chinese painting by Li Keran.
Alongside his wife, Wang Wei, this dynamic couple garnered widespread recognition in the Western art world with a series of high-profile purchases at auctions. Notably, their acquisition of the 500-year-old Ming Dynasty Meiyintang "chicken cup" at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2014, which fetched $36.6 million, including fees, set a new record and solidified their status as the most prominent Chinese collectors in the West.
Wang Wei is known for her active involvement in the art world and her significant contributions to promoting Chinese art on a global scale. Wang Wei gained international attention for her high-profile art purchases, including the acquisition of several multimillion-dollar artworks. In 2015, she made headlines by purchasing Amedeo Modigliani's masterpiece, "Nu Couché," for an astonishing amount.
Together with her husband, she has built a remarkable collection of Chinese and international contemporary art. Their art collection features works by renowned artists like Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Claude Monet. Their art investments and acquisitions have helped raise the profile of Chinese collectors in the global art market, showcasing their passion for collecting valuable artworks and their impact on the art world.
The art collection of Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei
Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei's collection spans thousands of artworks, reflecting their relentless curiosity in exploring art across various mediums, genres, historical periods, and geographical origins over more than three decades. Encompassing artistic movements from around the globe and spanning continents, the collection boasts highly sought-after works by renowned artists such as Mark Rothko, René Magritte, Yoshitomo Nara, Kazuo Shiraga, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, Georgette Chen, Gerhard Richter, Marlene Dumas, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Shirazeh Houshiary, and Lee Ufan, among others. Notably, the collection also pays homage to Chinese artists, featuring masterpieces by Xu Beihong, Zao Wou-Ki, Sanyu, Pan Yuliang, Chen Yifei, Zhang Enli, Ai Xuan, and many others who have found their place in this extensive and diverse art collection.
Apart from their private art collection, the couple's passion for art extended to a grand vision of establishing a museum that would become a leading institution in Asia's flourishing art scene. In just a decade since its inauguration in Shanghai in 2012, the Long Museum has evolved into a groundbreaking institution, having hosted over 200 exhibitions thus far. With three locations now under the careful stewardship of Wang Wei, the Long Museum has earned recognition as one of the most prominent private museums in operation within China today. The museum showcases an array of artistic styles, encompassing everything from traditional Chinese art to contemporary expressions in both Asian and Western art. Beyond curating exhibitions, the Long Museum actively supports scholarly research, lectures, workshops, and educational initiatives in the field of art.
Over the years, the couple has gathered a remarkable assemblage of more than 2,300 artworks, filling their two museums in Shanghai with a wide range of pieces. These include ancient scrolls, Tibetan silk embroideries, and imperial porcelain artifacts, alongside contemporary works by renowned artists.
They are not hesitant to make substantial investments in high-profile antiques. In addition to their acquisition of Amedeo Modigliani's masterpiece, "Nu Couché," they secured a Tibetan tapestry commissioned by a Ming emperor for a staggering $45 million at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong in November 2014, setting a record as the highest price ever paid for a piece of Chinese art at auction. The couple made further luxurious purchases, including the procurement of a 600-year-old album of Buddhist art and calligraphy at Sotheby's New York in March 2015. This acquisition far exceeded the initial estimate of $150,000, setting a new benchmark at $14 million. Another noteworthy addition was the famous "chicken cup," a 500-year-old Ming Dynasty porcelain piece that they acquired in 2014 for a remarkable $36.3 million. Their penchant for valuable art continued as they spent $14.7 million on a Song Dynasty vase purchased at Sotheby's Hong Kong in April 2015.
Last month, an exceptional assortment of artworks from the renowned collection of Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei was featured in the largest-ever auction of Modern & Contemporary Art held at Sotheby's in Asia. For the past decade, Liu and Wang have consistently ranked among the most prolific art collectors globally, while also being enthusiastic champions of Chinese contemporary art.
Selena Mattei
