Message #37671

[SteveC]

Peter,  it is very interesting to see how other foreigners were involved with the Hengshui gang in the 1990s and early 2000s as I was.  Liu Yizi introduced me to guys like Dong Xue, Wang Guanyu and others and we had dinner and drinking parties.  In the 1990s only the Nanyang Chinese paid any attention to this art, not HK and certainly not Mainland collectors.   I am fluent in Chinese and lived in Beijing from 1993 to 2008, and my wife is from south of Shijiazhuang,  and my father in law was a good amateur Chinese painter,  all this helps and gave me cred when dealing with artists in their own language and environment.  If you really want to do a deep dive you go and get to know and talk to guys like Liu, Dong, Wang and whoever.  They were cliquish in the old days and competitive, I am not so sure now and the field seems to have grown tremendously. 

Best regard,
Steve Carroll