He also reveals the art pieces from his private collection that he can't live without and the artworks he hopes to acquire in the future
He has played a pivotal role in the Chinese art market in Asia, bringing in prominent collections by names such as Sakamoto Gorō, the Meiyintang Collection of imperial Chinese porcelains, and Chinese ceramics from the Le Cong Tang Collection and has also led record-breaking transactions for Sotheby's Asia—so it's safe to say that Nicolas Chow needs little introduction.
Born and educated in Switzerland, Nicolas is an avid photographer and filmmaker and is the chairman as well as the International Head and Chairman of the Chinese Works of Art department of Sotheby’s Asia.
Some of the transactions he's led for Sotheby's Asia include a rare Ru Guanyao brush washer from Northern Song Dynasty that was sold for HK$290 million in October 2017, setting the world record for Chinese Ceramics, which was previously held by the Meiyintang “Chicken Cup” when it sold in the spring of 2014 by Sotheby’s to Shanghai collector Liu Yiqian for HK$280 million.
The grandson of legendary art dealer and collector Edward T. Chow has always had an interest in the arts, which led him to pioneer the Curiosity sales for Sotheby's, with offerings from Western antiquities, Old Master drawings, African tribal and wood pieces to Chinese scholar rocks which he personally photographs—yes, all the objects that appear in his Curiosity Sales.
In the second part of the Collectors' Circle series for Tatler Singapore, Nicolas shares his insights on the ever-evolving behaviour of Chinese collectors and the impact on the art world.
(Related: The Collectors' Circle: Art Collector Shanyan Koder’s Remarkable Private Collection)
The number of wealthy Chinese collectors must be growing by the day, can you share any trends you see between those who have been collecting for a while in terms of taste vs. the Chinese millennial collectors of today?
Nicolas Chow (NC) The emerging young collector base, in China particularly, is a key driver of the growth in the Asian art market. Many Chinese millennial collectors are very passionate and willing to go the extra mile to learn about art by travelling the world and on social media. They are frequent visitors to international art fairs, museums and galleries. Compared to the last generation of collectors, young collectors have more eclectic tastes and their collecting approaches are not bound by conventional categories. They are also driven by a strong desire for self-expression. The new generation contributes to a more diversified ecosystem and encourages creative collisions in collecting art across genres, which I believe are extremely healthy for the market.
As for Chinese antiques, the younger generation today is learning to appreciate and value its beauty. We are committed to making our field more relevant to, as well as educate the new generation of potential buyers through curating fresh and interesting sales.