Prestigious art fair is back after 2-yr absence

Masterpiece London Art Fair has returned to the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London this week, after being postponed last year and in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 150 exhibitors from around the world are showcasing works of art, design, furniture and jewelry－from antiquity to contemporary－at the fair.

Displays include art pieces from galleries in Asia, with Hong Kong's 3812 Gallery setting out to foster cross-cultural dialogue between their Chinese contemporary and British modern artists.

The gallery's stand at Masterpiece is a curated selection of major landscape works that includes pieces by Asian artists. The artist selection seamlessly fuses East and West, creating cross-cultural dialogue that foregrounds the beauty of landscape painting across time and place, said a statement from 3812 Gallery.

Calvin Hui, co-founder and chairman of 3812, said Masterpiece will give the Western audience and collectors a chance to discover artists that the market has not really seen.

Traditional elements

"I strongly admire artists who present the cultural heritage and the traditional elements of Chinese art, while also showing a unique artistic language in a contemporary manner. The artists we represent ... you can see the essence of ink culture that they present through their artwork and brush strokes, the way they try to present the qi (meaning "vital force" in Chinese), light and energy," Hui said.

"For the collectors and audiences, it's very new and refreshing and they can appreciate the abstract expressionism as well as the dynamic brush strokes. For example, Liu Guofu, when he applies oil, he creates a unique watery base oil, it's very thin and transparent which can deliver the aura of light and qi, which I would say is very Chinese."

Masterpiece, which runs until July 6, also features two light installations by Pakistani American artist Anila Quayyum Agha, who is known for her award-winning immersive work.

Visitors will also get a chance to see the skull of a triceratops, as presented by the David Aaron gallery, which specializes in art, artifacts, and objects of the ancient world.