OIL PAINTER ZENG FANZHI, 59, TOPPED HURUN CHINA ART LIST WITH SALES OF US$21.4MN OF HIS WORKS AT PUBLIC AUCTION LAST YEAR

CUI RUZHUO, 79, LOST THE TOP SPOT HE HAD HELD FOR EIGHT YEARS, WITH SALES OF HIS WORKS DOWN 82% TO US$16.6MN

HUANG JIANNAN, 71, UP FOUR PLACES TO 3^RD WITH US$15.1MN

OIL PAINTER FANG LIJUN, 60, SAW SALES OF HIS WORKS JUMP 145% TO US$13.1MN RANKED 7^TH, CLIMBING 16 PLACES

TOTAL TURNOVER OF THE 100 ARTISTS ON THE HURUN CHINA ART LIST 2023 WAS US$346.4MN, A DECREASE OF 46% OVER LAST YEAR

42 ARTISTS SAW THEIR SALES INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR, INCLUDING 10 RETURNING ARTISTS AND 11 NEW FACES; OF THE 79 ARTISTS WHOSE TURNOVER FELL, 21 DROPPED OFF

8 FEMALE ARTISTS THIS YEAR, TWO MORE THAN LAST YEAR

AVERAGE AGE OF THE ARTISTS ON THE LIST IS 63, ONE YEAR YOUNGER THAN LAST YEAR AND DOWN FOR THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW. THE NUMBER OF ARTISTS UNDER 50 INCREASED BY THREE TO 23, THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE INCREASE

ARTISTS PREFER TO LIVE IN BEIJING, WITH 59, 5 MORE THAN LAST YEAR; SHANGHAI HAS 6, 1 MORE THAN LAST YEAR, RANKED 2ND; JIANGSU WAS THIRD WITH 5

39 LIVING ARTISTS MADE THE HURUN BEST-SELLING CHINESE ARTISTS 2023, 12 MORE THAN LAST YEAR

THE HURUN CHINA ART LIST HAS FEATURED 298 ARTISTS IN 16 YEARS, 33 OF WHOM HAVE SINCE DIED. 14 HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST FOR 16 CONSECUTIVE YEARS, THEY ARE: ZENG FANZHI, FAN ZENG, ZHOU CHUNYA, ZHANG XIAOGANG, HUANG YONGYU, HE JIAYING, ZHU MING, LUO ZHONGLI, LIU YE, WANG MINGMING, FANG LIJUN, JIN SHANGYI, AI XUAN, WANG YIDONG. AND 27 HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS

WORLD AUTHORITY ON WEALTH CREATION HURUN RESEARCH INSTITUTE LAUNCHES HURUN CHINA ART LIST 2023

l  Oil painter Zeng Fanzhi, 59, surpassed Cui Ruzhuo to top the Hurun Art List with sales of his works at public auction amounting to US$21.4mn last year, despite a 58% drop in sales from the previous year.

l  Cui Ruzhuo, 79, dropped to second place, on the back of his turnover down 82% to US$16.6mn in the past year, losing the top spot he had held for eight years.

l  The threshold for the Top 50 and Top 100 was down from last year. The threshold for the Top 50 was US$1.9mn, down 13% from last year; The threshold for the Top 100 was US$530,000, down 35% from last year. Only 3 artists sold more than CNY100mn, 8 fewer than last year.

l  For the third year in a row, oil painters outnumbered Chinese ink artists on the list. There are 64 oil painters this year, 2 more than last year; The number of Chinese ink artists was 32, 3 fewer than last year. Among them, Huang Jiannan, Ai Xuan, Liu Guosong have attainments in Chinese ink painting and oil painting. Compared with ten years ago, the proportion of oil painters on the list has increased significantly, with 32 oil painters and 67 Chinese ink painters on the list in 2013.

l  4 sculptors made the list, the same number as last year. Only 11 sculptors have been listed on the Hurun China Art List in the past 16 years.

l  The number of artists under the age of 50 has risen for the 4^th consecutive years, up 3 this year to 23.

l  The influence of female artists is expanding. Before 2019, only 2013 had more than five female artists on the list. While from 2020 to 2023, there were more than 5 female artists on the list for 4 consecutive years. There are 8 female artists this year, two more than last year.

l  3 are over 90, two fewer than last year.

l  Beijing has consistently been the city where the most artists on the list were born and reside. This year, the list of artists currently living in Beijing is still ahead of other cities with 59, 5 more than last year; Shanghai has 1 more than last year to 6, ranked 2^nd; The number of Jiangsu remained with 5, ranked the third; Guangdong ranked 4^th with 4, 1 more than last year; Sichuan and Chongqing tied for 5^th with 3. 7 artists on the list live abroad, including 3 from the USA and 1 each from Germany, France, Italy and the UK.

l  In terms of birthplace, 16 were born in Beijing, 4 more than last year; Shandong rose from fourth to 2nd, up 1 to 8 from last year. Shanghai stayed the same as last year with 8, tied for 2nd with Shandong. Jiangsu decreased by 1 to 6 from last year, tying with Sichuan for 4th.

l  Artists Who Have Been on the List for the 10 Consecutive Years: 27 artists have been on the list in the past ten years. They are: Zeng Fanzhi, Cui Ruzhuo, Huang Jiannan, Fan Zeng, Liu Ye, Fang Lijun, Zhou Chunya, Liu Wei, Zhang Xiaogang, Shang Yang, Huang Yongyu, Luo Zhongli, Ai Xuan, He Jiaying, Jin Shangyi, Zhu Ming, Wang Yidong, Shi Guoliang, Liu Guosong, Wang Mingming, Jia Youfu, Shen Peng, Ren Zhong, Fang Chuxiong, Tian Liming, Xu Lele and Lin Yong.

l  Among Hurun Best-Selling Chinese Artists 2023, Chinese ink artist Zhang Daqian topped the list for the ninth time with US$169mn, although turnover fell 41% from the previous year. Oil painter Zhao Wuji remained in second place, with turnover fell 39% to US$102mn. Qi Baishi retained third place, with turnover fell 32% to US$81mn. Wu Guanzhong remained in fourth place, with turnover fell 39% to US$61mn. Fu Baoshi retained fifth place after his turnover fell 42% to US$57mn. In terms of art categories, 68 Chinese ink artists made the list, 8 fewer than last year; The number of oil painters on the list is 37, 7 more than last year.

(20 June 2023, Shanghai) The Hurun Research Institute today launched the Hurun China Art List 2023, a ranking of the Top 100 Chinese artists alive today based on the sales of their works at public auction in the year ending 31 December 2022. This is the sixteenth year of the Hurun China Art List. The report includes the Hurun Best-Selling Chinese Artists 2023, a list of the 100 best-selling artists from China. The lists were compiled from data collected by Artprice, Artron and ArtPro.

China's art market cooled off last year. The global art market totaled US$67.8bn last year, up 3% from a year earlier, according to The Art Market 2023, a report by Art Basel & UBS. The USA remained the largest single art market, accounting for 45% of global sales, up 8% year on year. The UK regained its position as the second largest market, accounting for 18% of global sales. China's share fell to 17%, from second to third. Sales in China fell 14% last year from a year earlier as the impact of the Covid-19 hampered art market activity last year, with some art fairs and auctions cancelled, shortened or postponed.

The total turnover of the 100 artists on the Hurun China Art List 2023 was US$347mn, a decrease of 46% over last year. The threshold for the list has down to US$530,000. The turnover of 3 artists exceeded CNY 100mn, 8 less than last year. A total of 298 artists have made the Hurun China Art List these 16 years.

Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman and Chief Researcher of Hurun Report, said: “Average sales on Hurun China Art List fell 46% this year, and the number of people who sold more than CNY 100mn was just 3, almost the lowest ever. The main reasons include the global economic slowdown, which has left entrepreneurs with less capital to invest, and the Covid-19, which has caused major auction houses such as Poly and Yongle to postpone their autumn sales. We hope that our art list can bring some inspiration to the Chinese who have the ability to collect, and help them to start the first step of art collection.”

“Since May this year, 41 Chinese artists have been declared of national cultural importance, with their works no longer allowed to leave the country, led by the likes of Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, Feng Zikai, Li Keran, Wu Guanzhong and Zhao Wuji.”

“The influence of young Chinese artists is growing, and the creative thinking of the new generation is being recognized by collectors. The average age of artists on the list has fallen for four years in a row, and this year the number of artists under 50 is the highest in a decade with 23."

“There are 8 female artists on the list this year, which doesn't sound like much, but it's the highest number in years, and there were 8 in 2021. The art landscape has changed dramatically from a few decades ago, with female artists increasingly receiving attention and recognition from mainstream institutions.”

“An artist's personal brand is very important to collectors. There are 27 evergreen artists on the list in the past decade, including Zeng Fanzhi, Cui Ruzhuo, Huang Jiannan and Fan Zeng. The sales of these 27 artists over the past 10 years accounted for 60% of the total sales of the 10 year list artists.”

“With only 298 artists on the list over the past 16 years, it is hard to displace established artists whose works have long been the dominant force in China's art auction market. Established artists' personal brands played an important role, with 79 remaining in the top 100 compared with last year, and only 11 new face on the list, 4 fewer than last year.”

“This year, the sales of the artists on the list have gone from concentrated to dispersed. Ten years ago, the sales of the Top 10 artists accounted for 45% of the list, five years ago it was 50% and last year it was 56%. This year, the sales of the Top 10 artists accounted for just 4% of the list.”

“Zhang Daqian, Zhao Wuji, Qi Baishi, Wu Guanzhong and Fu Baoshi, the most popular art masters in modern China, whose works are still active in the art auction market, are milestones in the history of modern calligraphy and painting, and great pioneers who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Chinese art.”

This is an English language summary of the full Chinese press release which can be found at www.hurun.net. Please note percentage changes of the sales totals is based on a comparison of the Chinese Yuan sales figures of this versus last year. For media inquiries please contact our public relations team whose contact details can be found at the end of this report.

The Top 10

3 new faces this year in the Top 10. The Top 10 artists saw an average decrease of 13% in sales. The average age is 65 years old, 2 years older than the average age of the total list, and 4 years younger than the average age of the Top 10 last year. There are 8 oil painters in the Top 10, which is the same as last year. 8 live in Beijing and 1 in Shanghai and Sichuan each.

Oil painter Zeng Fanzhi, 59, topped the Hurun China Art List with US$21.4mn in total turnover. Zeng has been included in Hurun China Art List for 16 consecutive years and is the only artist to never leave the Top 10.

Cui Ruzhuo, 79, lost the top spot he had held for eight years, fell 82% to US$16.6mn. Cui remains the highest-grossing artist on the public auction market in the 16-year history of Hurun China Art List.

Huang Jiannan, 71, up four places to 3^rd with US$15.1mn. Since he first entered Hurun China Art List in 2014, Huang Jiannan has been on the list for 10 consecutive years, 8 of them in the Top 10.

Fan Zeng, 85, saw his turnover drop 23% to US$14mn, climbing six places to 4^th. Fan Zeng has been included in the Hurun China Art List for 16 consecutive years, and has been in the Top 10 for 14 consecutive years since 2010, topped the list in 2011 and 2012.

Oil painter Huang Yuxing, 48, ranked 5^th with US$13.5mn, up four places from last year. Huang Yuxing, the youngest artist in Top 10, has been included in the Hurun China Art List for the fifth time this year and for the second year in a row.

Oil painter Liu Ye, 59,ranked sixth with US$13.2mn, down 53%, unchanged from last year. Liu Ye has been included in the Hurun China Art List for 16 consecutive years, and in the Top 10 for four consecutive years.

Oil painter Fang Lijun, 60, saw his turnover jump 145% to US$13.1mn ranked 7^th, climbing 16 places. Fang Lijun is the living artist with the biggest increase in transaction value this year. He has been listed on Hurun China Art List for 16 consecutive years, and this year is the first time he has entered the Top 10 in 16 years.

Oil painter Zhou Chunya, 68, dropped five places to 8^th, with turnover fell 70% to US$12.4mn. Zhou Chunya has been included in Hurun China Art List for 16 years in a row, never falling out of the Top 15, and has been included in the Top 10 for six years in a row, topped the list in 2013.

Liu Wei, a 58-year-old oil painter, rose 9% to US$12.1mn, moving up six places to 9^th. Liu Wei has been included in Hurun China Art List for 13 years in a row. This is the third time Liu Wei has been included in the Top 10, after ranked 4^th in 2017 and 8^th in 2018.

Zhang Enli, 58, saw her turnover rise 79% to US$10.3mn, climbing 11 places to 10^th, the first time she has entered the Top 10 since 2014.

Top 10 most expensive works by living artists

Among the Top 10 most expensive works by living artists, 9 are oil paintings and 1 is  Chinese ink. Among them,1 Chinese ink was works of Cui Ruzhuo; The 9 oil paintings were by Fang Lijun, Liu Wei, Huang Jiannan, Leng Jun, Zeng Fanzhi, Liu Ye, Cheng Junlin, Ding Yi, and Ai Xuan.

Youngest artists of the Hurun China Art List 2023 Top 10

Geographic Distribution

Fastest-Growing Artists from the Hurun China Art List 2023

Artists Who Have Been on the List for the 10 Consecutive Years

Hurun Best-Selling Chinese Artists 2023 Top 10

Top 10 new faces from the Hurun Best-Selling Chinese Artists 2023

Hurun China Art List annual list data changes

Hurun China Art List 2023, Most Successful Chinese Living Artists

Hurun Best-Selling Chinese Artists 2023

About ArtPro 

Founded in 2019, ArtPro is one of the most important global art market information and data service platforms. We connect about 2 million collectors and we major in three services: ArtPro Data, ArtPro Media and ArtPro Trading.

ArtPro Data includes price databases, artist reports, HD live screaming of global auctions, and more. The data radar covers 1,300 auction houses around the world. The transaction data is from 1983 to the present and the amount is exceeding 23 million. Around 400 thousand artists are included.

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About Hurun Inc.

Promoting Entrepreneurship Through Lists and Research

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Established in the UK in 1999, Hurun is a research, media and investments group, promoting entrepreneurship through its lists and research. Widely regarded as an opinion-leader in the world of business, Hurun generated 6 billion views on the Hurun brand last year, mainly in China and India.

Best-known today for the Hurun Rich List series, telling the stories of the world’s successful entrepreneurs in China, India and the world, Hurun’s two other key series include the Hurun Start-up series and the Hurun 500 series, a ranking of the world’s most valuable companies.

The Hurun Start-up series begins with the Hurun U30s, an awards recognizing the most successful entrepreneurs under the age of thirty, and is today in seven countries. Next up are Hurun Cheetahs, Chinese and Indian start-ups with a valuation of between US$300mn to US$500mn, most likely to go unicorn with five years.  Hurun Global Gazelles recognize start-ups with a valuation of US$500mn to US$1bn, most likely to go unicorn within three years. The culmination of the start-up series is the Hurun Global Unicorn Index.

Other lists include the Hurun Philanthropy List, ranking the biggest philanthropists, the Hurun Art List, ranking the world’s most successful artists alive today, etc…

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