The Chinese Art Prize (CAP) by Yue-Sai Kan is the most prestigious and important Chinese contemporary art award to focus on emerging Chinese painters. The aim of the Chinese Art Prize is to encourage and promote young talented Chinese contemporary artists and to give them the recognition and exposure that the best young artists deserve. The Chinese Art Prize was jointly established by Yue-Sai Kan and Art Scene China.
The judges of the Chinese Art Prize are heavyweights in the art world. The jury president, Gerard Goodrow, is the Director of Art Cologne in Germany, one of the most important annual art expositions in the world. Members of the jury include Jeff Kelley, Curator of the Asian Art Museum in California, USA, and other prominent jury members such as globally famous artist LeRoy Neiman and well-known Chinese contemporary artist Zhong Biao.
With such an experienced and well-qualified jury, the Chinese contemporary artists selected by this panel are truly among the top young emerging artists in China. The jurists select the artwork based on their years of experience with art internationally and judge the work purely on the merits of the work itself. No “guanxi” (or connections) is required for the Chinese Art Prize. Also, artists are not required to pay any entrance fees or hidden fees to participate. The CAP is fair and open to all young Chinese painters.
ORGANISER
Art Scene China is one of the most famous and earliest established Chinese contemporary art galleries, with over 10 years experience. Art Scene China has galleries in Shanghai and Beijing and regularly participates in art expositions internationally, such as Art Cologne, Art Miami and Art Chicago. Art Scene China also cooperates with galleries and museums worldwide. The Gallery has more than 2 1/2 years’ experience organizing an art award. Art Scene China created and organized the Dragonair Emerging Chinese Artist Awards (DECAA), from 2004 – 2006 (Dragonair was taken over by another airline in 2006).
“There are so many talented artists in China nowadays”, said Sami Wafa, Director of Art Scene China, “yet only a few of them have had widespread national and international recognition. The Chinese Art Prize by Yue-Sai Kan will give talented emerging Chinese artists important recognition and will allow their artworks to be seen throughout China and the world.” "Art Scene China has always felt a strong social responsibiliy towards China. The Chinese Art Prize, which we organise, is our way to give back and contribute to the development of culture in China by supporting and encouraging young Chinese artists." said Elisabeth de Brabant, Director of Art Scene China.
SPONSOR
People magazine crowned Yue-Sai Kan "the Most Famous Woman in China"; her name is reportedly recognised by over 90% of Chinese people. For two decades, Chinese American Yue-Sai Kan has been recognized by millions of Chinese as the ultimate arbiter of beauty, style and art. To encourage and support the development of young, emerging artists in the Greater China Area, Yue-Sai Kan is sponsoring the Chinese Art Prize.
Yue-Sai Kan was born into a family with a rich artistic background. Her father Wing-Lin Kan was a well-respected and widely admired traditional Chinese ink painter of the Ling Nan School. Yue-Sai's father encouraged her to participate in the arts, and at an early age, she already demonstrated a talent for music and art. She practiced piano and ballet for many years and earned a degree in music and political science from Brigham Young University.
A solid education in the arts and an international perspective arising from many years of travel around the globe have enabled Yue-Sai Kan to serve as the premiere cultural ambassador between East and West. Money magazine hailed her as "the Modern Day Marco Polo" for an array of outstanding achievements: In 1986, she produced and hosted the television series "One World" on China's national TV network CCTV, giving millions of Chinese the first glimpse of the outside world; In 1992, she launched the Yue-Sai cosmetics brand and forever changed the Chinese attitude towards beauty and makeup; In 2005, her documentary television series "Yue-Sai's World" began to provide an in-depth look at the world's latest lifestyle trends; Most recently, she published 2 etiquette books "Chinese Gentleman" and "The Complete Chinese Woman" to teach the Chinese world-class style and manners. Yue-Sai Kan's townhouse in New York and apartments in Beijing and Shanghai are filled with her hand-picked art works. Her tasteful and exquisite decorations have been featured in numerous design and home magazines.
Yue-Sai Kan believes that one's taste is best reflected in his ability to understand and appreciate art. Art lovers are those who can make the best of life. She pledges full support for the Chinese Art Prize and promises to push the event to the forefront of the modern Chinese art scene.
“It is wonderful to be able to support the young Chinese contemporary artists and give back to the community,” said Yue-Sai Kan. “Art and culture are such an important part of people’s lives. They should be encouraged and cherished.”
BACKGOUND
Chinese contemporary art has received much attention internationally lately through the media and exhibitions. However, there is currently only a limited pool of Chinese contemporary artists that is getting virtually all of this international exposure, whereas there are officially over 1 million artists in China today. The Chinese Art Prize (CAP) has proven and continues to show that there are many more Chinese artists, apart from the small group of famous ones, who are extremely talented and who deserve recognition.
JUDGES
Jury President - CAP 2007:
Gerard Goodrow, Director of Art Cologne
Members of Jury - CAP 2007:
Jeff Kelley, Curator, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA, USA LeRoy Neiman, globally famous artist Zhong Biao, contemporary Chinese artist Richard Langone, Creative Director of the House of Yue-Sai Kan Sami Wafa, Director of Art Scene China, Shanghai & Beijing Other jury members will also be included
PRIZES *
The Gold and Silver prizes will be selected by the jury in Shanghai on December 1, 2007. The Viewer's Choice Award winner will be selected by the guests invited to the exhibition on December 1.
The concept for the Chinese Art Prize was created by Art Scene China in 2003. The art prize itself was created in 2005 and was operated by Art Scene China, with the aim of encouraging and promoting emerging Chinese painters. The Chinese Art Prize was originally sponsored by Hong Kong's Dragonair and was called the Dragonair Emerging Chinese Artists Award (DECAA). In 2006, the airline was purchased by another airline. And thus, Yue-Sai Kan, with a great deal of interest in the arts and with a strong tie to the Chinese community, stepped in to sponsor and improve the Chinese Art Prize by Yue-Sai Kan.
2007 will mark the first Chinese Art Prize by Yue-Sai Kan. It promises to be the most successful and important art prize for emerging Chinese contemporary artists.
