China’s Biggest Art Collector, Liu Yiqian

Liu Yiqian was born in 1963 from a working class family in Shanghai. He dropped out of school at 14 to help his mother with her handbag business which became very success and at 27 he became a stock trader.

He has since made millions and is on Forbe’s top 400 richest Chinese list.

 

He and his wife Wang Wei started collecting art 10 years ago and have not stopped  since.  

In the past 2 years this ” Super Collector” couple have spent nearly $317 million on ancient and contemporary Chinese art.

They plan on opening the Dragon Art Museum in Shanghai at the end of this year to house their private art collection.

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ART HK12 | Asia’s Premier Art Show

ART HK12, the Hong Kong International Art Fair is the leading contemporary art fair in Asia and is celebrating its fifth year.  This year there will be over 250 galleries bringing together leading collectors, curators and artists from Asia and the world. 

The art world has recognized the importance of the booming art market in Asia in recent years and ART HK12 is a must attend show for the international art scene.

ARTHK12 is produced in collaboration with Art Basel.

For a list of exhibitors, click here:

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Ruana Designs Travels to India

Priyanka Behl, owner of Ruana Designs, recently traveled to India to meet with textile manufacturers to design fabrics for her new collection. Behl went to Rajasthan, India which in known for its amazing range of dyed and block printing fabrics.

The people working in the many regions of Rajasthan have years of experience and their skills have been handed down to them from generation to generation.

Their use of natural dyes and techniques are very specialized and all done by hand. Records show that as far back as the 12th century India became renowned for their excellent printed fabrics.

Jia Moderne in collaboration with Ruana Designs is pleased to introduce a new collection of fabrics.

Stop by our showroom and see the beautiful display of silks, cottons and linens that can be custom ordered for your design projects. 

www.jiamoderne.com

Jia Moderne attends the 11th Annual Architectural Digest Home Show

We had a great time at the Architectural Digest Home Show in New York City a few weeks ago and were in great company with over 400 top brand exhibitors.

Architectural Digest Home Show 2012

 We had the privilege to share  the Koo De Monde booth with some amazing artists; GREEN T. HOUSE,  Wendy Shapiro, Jeremy Penn, Laurie Goddard, Nick Davis and Hiro Odaira to name a few.

Hiro Odaira

We had great success and look forward to attending next year’s show!

www.jiamoderne.com

Cherry Blossoms | 100th Anniversary | Gift to the United States

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Japan’s gift to the United States.

  A great way to celebrate is to check out Cherry Blossom Festivals throughout the United States and abroad.

Cherry Blossom Japanese Print

The cherry blossom (Sakura) is a well-known symbol of Japan and is frequently displayed on traditional Japanese goods and art.

The cherry blossom is very important in Japanese culture as it represents the end of the winter and the being of new life and the coming season of spring.

Cherry Blossoms in Japan

  Japan gave 3,000 sakura as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the nations’  friendship. These trees have since lined the shore of the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC  and the gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1956.

Cherry Blossom Trees in Washington, DC

This year the National Cherry Blossom Festival is taking place on March 20 through April 27, 2012 in Washington, DC. 

For more information about the festival click here!

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New Collection of Fabrics by Ruana Designs Exclusive at Jia Moderne

We are so please to be collaborating with Ruana Designs with a new collection of custom fabrics of over a thousand combinations of textures and colors.

Priyanka Behl’s, owner of Ruana Designs, has a passion for design and textiles which started when she was growing up in India.

Her focus and attention to detail has helped her create a unique line of fabrics. Behl’s works closely with designers to customize her product lines for individual projects. 

In 2011, Ruana Designs was born with a focus on bringing a unique collection of scarves.

This soon expanded to a wider range of fabrics that included home furnishings.

Please stop by our showroom to see these amazing fabrics of silk, linen and cotton from around the world.

1 Design Center Place | Suite 329

Boston, MA

www.jiamoderne.com

Asian Art Market is Booming!

The Asian art market is hot.

With record sales in 2011,  Asian art broke records for the most expensive piece of art  ”Eagle Standing on Pine Tree; Four-Character Couplet in Seal Script” by Baishi Qi which sold for $57.2 million in Beijing last May and was the most expensive painting sold at auction last year.

China was the world’s biggest fine art market in 2011 for the second year in a row, accounting for 41.4 percent of global sales of paintings, sculptures, installations, photography and drawings worth $4.8 billion, according to market information provider Artprice.

 Wang Yannan, the director and president of China Guardian and  one of the largest auction houses in the world and the oldest in China states ”…the artwork market received more attention and support by collectors in 2011. In this year, the artwork market became more rational and collectors were more mature. We believe the artwork market will move forward and become more stable in the future.”

Hong Kong has become the center of Asia’s art business.

It’s the world’s third biggest auction center after New York and London, driven by demand for Asian art and collectibles.

For authentic Asian art please visit our website

www.jiamoderne.com

The Peacock Room at The Freer Gallery

We are fascinated by this gorgeous room at the Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian.

 

Originally built for a wealthy English shipping magnate and eventually bought and moved to America by the museum’s founder Charles Lang Freer, Freer used it to organize and display more than 250 ceramics he had collected from throughout Asia.

The Peacock Room underscores Freer’s belief that “all works of art go together, whatever their period.”  The gallery embodies the meeting of eastern and western art which opened to the public in 1923.

For a wonderful interactive panoramic view of the Peacock Room click here.

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Artistic Love by Lumamodern

We at Jia Moderne are absolutely in love with Lumamodern’s metal wall art.

 ”Simplicity. Joy. Permanence.”

Thomas Drake, artist and owner of  Lumamodern, is inspired by the poetic and dramatic beauty of the Chinese symbol for love. 

Love

Drake uses the “Ai,” the traditional Chinese character for love (愛)  which  is based around the heart and home, and offering affection and emotion toward others.

Drake is fascinated by the contrast between western language, where words are not constructed based on visual ideas and Chinese calligraphy, an ancient and poetic language evolving from early pictographs and still in use today.

 The symbol of love is an artistic expression and beautiful art form.

Love

“Lumamodern art creates a sense of joy and simplicity through the selection of material, color, and form.  Ancient calligraphy and iconic images are sculpted and powder coated onto metal, creating a sense of permanency and durability.”

The beauty and simplicity of this several thousand year old Chinese character, is part of the genesis of the Lumamodern’s art work.

 The work is designed to be viewed in a contemporary space.  

We suggest a beautiful outdoor living space or an entry way to one’s home.

Seasons

Wishing you love and  ”Simplicity. Joy. Permanence.” shared with a loved one on this Valentine’s Day.

www.jiamoderne.com

www.lumamodern.com

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year | The Year of the Water Dragon

According to the Chinese Zodiac the Year of the Dragon, begins on January 23, 2012 and ends on February 9, 2013.

The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac.

Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines and also in Chinatowns throughout the world.

 Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese New Year vary widely. One of the traditions is that every family thoroughly cleans their home to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes of  making way for incoming good luck.

Chinese New Year Festival | Beijing

The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend.  In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represents an emperor and power.

Today, it is the ultimate symbol signifying success and happiness.

 Wishing you a very Happy, Successful and Prosperous New Year!

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