Art in Hong Kong was often overlooked, especially before ArtHK, the premiere May art fair, became a permanent fixture in Hong Kong. But progressively and quite rapidly, we’ve seen the art scene in Hong Kong thrive, alongside with Chinese art – three of the ten most expensive artworks sold in auction from living artists are in fact Asian, of that two are Chinese.

To better understand the world of art and the art market in Hong Kong, Asia Tatler is introducing a gallerist series to help our readers learn moreabout the Hong Kong art scene. So whether you’re an art collector trying to shortlist galleries to shop from, a foreign gallery owner deciding whether to open shop in Hong Kong or someone who simply appreciates the arts and would like to learn more, we hope this guide will be useful to our readers as we interview our favourite galleries and see what they have framed for the SAR.

To begin our series, we interview the lady behind Kwai Fung Hin Gallery, a gallery which originally exhibited Western art but later switched to focus on Chinese art.

Kwai Fung Hin Gallery was opened by Catherine Kwai in 1993, who has been passionate about the arts from a young age and have long wanted to share this with the public. “At primary six, I won the second runner-up at the Hong Kong Painting Competition. Since then, reading art books, visiting all kinds of exhibitions and museums has become a major hobby of mine”. Initially, she wanted to be an artist but the more she learnt about the world of art and recognised the talent in the field, she decided not to compete with the masters out there, but instead embrace them with her gallery, thus, she opened Kwai Fung Hin Gallery.

Asia Tatler: Art is...

Catherine Kwai: Art is spiritual, mind stimulation and full of emotions. When artists pursue art with devotion, their art will stimulate the senses and encourages thinking.

AT: What kind of art does your gallery speacialise in and what do you add the existing art scene?

CK: From 1993 to 2000, I concentrated on promoting European artists as I am familiar with Western art history. Also, during those years, most of the galleries in Hong Kong promoted Chinese or local artists. I want to bring in Western art so people could access a wider spectrum of art. However, in 1996, I began to travel to China extensively to visit artist schools and studios. Starting from 1996, I started my personal collection of Chinese oil paintings and researching the field, and in 2000, with solid understanding and confidence, I decided to focus on Asian contemporary art.

AT: How do you select the artists that exhibit in your gallery?

CK: For me, I don't like to focus on particular movement or certain artists from specific regions. I choose artists who are very talented, passionate and devoted towards art. Artists who have a distinctive style and solid techniques and skills. I admire artists who paint and sculpt not to please others, but to express their souls through art.

AT: How did you come into this profession?

CK: I’ve always been a fan of the arts and began as an artist, however the more I got to learn about art, the more I was convinced that I would not be an excellent artist. So I decided to open a gallery to help those upcoming talented artists instead.

AT: What was your first art purchase?

CK: My first purchase was in Nanjing, China. I purchased works from Song Wen-zhi and Fu Bao-shi.

AT: Could you give our readers tips on art collecting?

CK: If you’re buying for a serious collection, research beforehand then decide which period you want to focus on. Then you can select a group of artists, study each artist’s earlier works and development and pick the right work.

AT: What's your favourite book, and why?

CK: The Guggenheims: A Family History by Irwin Unger and Debi Unger

The book talks about Peggy Guggenheim and her life. It’s really unusual to have a female art lover who is so enthusiastic towards art promotion at the time. She opened her art gallery to support upcoming artists and later she actually donated her whole collection to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice. I think she was very avant-garde and courageous.

AT: If you could choose to meet any three artists, past or present, who would they be?

CK: Zao Wou-ki, Pierre Soulages and Modigliani

Address: Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, G/F, 20 Ice House Street, Central. Tel: +852 2580 0058