About

Soemo Fine Arts

Soemo Fine Arts was established by Dutchman Jareth Soemodihardjo and is operated in co-operation with individuals based in both China and the West. We are devoted to presenting the works of a selected group of both emerging contemporary Chinese artists as well as talent not yet discovered by the world, and take great interest in helping them to expand their careers both in China and abroad.

To better identify current artistic trends in the fast-changing Chinese society Soemo Fine Arts has established a gallery in Beijing, from where we have build many close relationships with artists from Beijing, Chengdu and Chongqing. Moreover, because of our extensive network within the Chinese Art world we have access to works of a majority of upcoming and emerging artists from China.

With our knowledgeable team we are able to advise our clientele on various business and artistic decisions and are able to source and function as an intermediary with buyers and collectors from around the world as well as creating a substantial contribution to the renaissance of Chinese Contemporary Art. 


Chinese Contemporary Art

Today, as China is rapidly becoming a major player in the global art market, an increasing number of Chinese artists are getting international recognition. The emergence of China as a new economical super-power has produced an enormous level of interest from the global audience, in order to better understand the people that are creating this new artistic movement. Nowadays, artworks reflect the voices of the people that have witnessed China's radical changes in the past two decades. This art is highly influenced by the growing contradictions and tensions caused by the tremendous social and economic upheavals, together with a great optimism and eagerness to form new values that can represent China in the 21st century. The works often convey an internal conflict between old-new, traditional-modern, East-West and the individual against the state. Through facing these contradictions contemporary Chinese artists' work show a never-ending search for identity yet to be formed. This promotes an interest and relevance for modern China as well as the Western world, where many of the boundaries that Chinese artists are exploring are taken for-granted, and provides new perspectives to contemplate the life and society that has originated from the legacy of an ancient civilization.


Chinese Contemporary Art as an Investment

Although Soemo Fine Arts believe that art should not solely be viewed from an investment perspective, we cannot deny the fact that the market for Chinese contemporary art is currently one of the most profitable on an international scale, soaring 440% over the past 5 years*.
In 2006, auctions held at Sotheby's and Christie's hailed stupendous success, selling $190 million worth of Asian contemporary art, most of it Chinese, in a series of record-breaking auctions in New York, London and Hong Kong. Compare with 2004, when the turnover on Asian contemporary art totalled $22 million. These and other recent auction results have confirmed an ever-growing interest from Western institutions and collectors, as well as an increasing amount of Asian buyers due to the emergence of the nouveau rich collectors from mainland China which has only just started to evolve. This forecasts a tremendous demand for Chinese contemporary art in the near future.

*source: artprice.com