Student Art in China

An interesting story in Sunday’s New York Times noted that Charles Saatchi, the British collector who discovered the likes of Damien
Hirst and Rachel Whiteread, has started a Chinese website for burgeoning artists.

It is a Mandarin version of Stuart (short for
Student Art), an arm of his gallery’s website where emerging
artists can show and sell their work. After the UK version of Stuart launched in December, Saatchi noticed many young Chinese students are posting artwork on it.

It seems that Chinese youth, new to democratic freedoms, are trying to find their individual voices–many through art.

“There are so many artists in China who want their work to be seen,” he said in a recent interview at his London home, pausing
every now and then to scan the large computer screen on his desk. “These
students, like all the others, want to know what’s going on around the world.”

This is a huge market in China that Saatchi has stumbled upon–one of many that foreign companies are both developing and capitalizing on.

“Having compiled a
considerable amount of data, the team estimates that 20 to 30 art schools
operate in China; that about
10,000 students will graduate from such schools this year; and that some 14,000
artists in China
are represented by galleries. That leaves roughly 10,000 unrepresented artists,” said Kieran McCann, who
is in charge of the site’s content and creative development.

About 300 art galleries operate in Beijing and about 300 in Shanghai:
a relatively small number, Mr. Saatchi said, considering the surge in interest
in Chinese work."

New York Times | "Let 10,000 Young Artists Bloom