Q Everyone knows about fake Chinese antiques. But I hear that, ever since Chinese art has gone up so much in price in recent years, contemporary artists are being copied, too. How can I tell if a new painting in an art gallery is authentic?
WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS
According to Sonja Ballingal, manager of Yan Gallery, most successful artists are copied. As well as big names such as Hu Yongkai, Wu Guanzhong, Zhang Daqian, Li Keran, Yang Ming-yi and Jia You Fu, younger artists such as Fang Xiang are also copied. '[Fang's] paintings are currently selling very well and I've seen some lookalikes in Stanley market,' she says.
Beijing-born Hu is best known for his portraits of women. 'He combines a natural eye for the picturesque with a modern sense of composition, creating his own style, which has influenced many other artists and given rise to many imitators,' says Ballingal.
COLOURFUL CHARACTERS
According to Ballingal, Hu's work is admired by Chinese and western collectors. 'Since the late 1980s, his work has become increasingly sought after, following a series of important solo exhibitions.'
Hu works mainly in Chinese ink and colour on paper or acrylic on paper. 'His paintings exude an oriental flavour,' she says. 'However, they appeal to the western eye because of the exuberance of colour.'