“With the tariffs in place, it will be virtually impossible for these businesses to price artwork competitively within the global art market.”

And the group believes it will also affect Chinese artists.

“In addition, galleries are frequently the main vehicles for artists to sell their works, so we are concerned for the even greater number of artists whose livelihoods will be affected by the new tariffs. Regrettably, the tariffs will also stifle the greater cultural exchange that galleries foster,” the ADAA said.

Chinese art has seen great demand as evident by auction prices. Sotheby’s Chinese Works of Art Department has fetched US$36 million for a doucai “chicken cup”, US$22 million for a vase with fruit sprays, and US$26.6 million for a Ru guanyao lobed brush washer, the latter setting a world auction record for Song ceramics.

And as with many things, people will find a way around the tariffs. And it is possible that US buyers may end up acquiring Chinese art pieces from other markets, such as Hong Kong.

Calvin Hui, co-founder of London- and Hong Kong-based 3812 Gallery, notes that there is a strong demand for Chinese art. He sees both 20th-century Chinese modern art masters and contemporary ink work as the taste trends of late.

“Shui Mo, or ‘water’ (shui) and ‘ink’ (mo) in English, has been the principal medium of painting and calligraphy in China for more than two millennia. Contemporary ink art may best be understood as part of the continuum of China’s traditional culture, which can be examined through the lens of Chinese historical artistic paradigms, containing layers of meaning and cultural significance,” Hui says. “The fact is, market demand for Chinese contemporary ink paintings has grown rapidly.”

But that is not all; interest in Chinese textiles is also growing. “There has always been interest in rare embroidered silks and weaves. Not only for their stunning colours and designs, craftsmanship, and amazing technology, but for the fascinating insight they give into the history and culture of China,” says Teresa Coleman, director of Teresa Coleman Fine Arts.

“More recently, we have noticed a resurgence of interest, especially among younger collectors who are intrigued by how each design is unique and filled with symbolic meaning. There is growing recognition that it was once considered one of the highest forms of art,” she says.

Coleman sees imperial court robes and embroidered decorations for imperial palaces, which are especially elaborate, as being the more expensive pieces in this genre.

Jonathan Coleman, co-director of Teresa Coleman Fine Arts, says textiles had the prestige of being the luxury items of their time, similar to gold, watches, cars and yachts today. But more importantly, they also conveyed deep cultural meaning.

Teresa Coleman adds: “They have been acquired by collectors and museums around the world, but younger collectors have begun to take an interest in acquiring these increasingly rare textiles. They are pieces that can be displayed in one’s home, so have also been acquired by those looking to create a unique centrepiece for their interiors.”

Domestic interest in Chinese art has also driven demand.

“It’s primarily the Chinese collectors from the Greater China regions, as well as Southeast Asian collectors, who are the key buyers of Chinese modern art masters’ work,” says Hui. “Names of 20th-century Chinese modern art masters such as Zao Wou-Ki, Sanyu, Wu Guanzhong and Hsiao Chin, to name a few, are the most sought-after in the auction market. International collectors from Europe are also becoming aware of the investment value of these works.”

Hui cites the region’s growing wealth and sophistication as a key factor.

“The wealth dynamics in Asia generally are much stronger in Europe, the continued growth of the China market in terms of emerging millionaires and billionaires has provided continued support for the art market.

“The concept of collecting art as investment has seen growing popularity and acceptance among the newly rich, which means more disposable income to acquire and invest in art,” says Hui.

The urge to rediscover Chinese culture through its art is also seen in collector’s instincts. “The appreciation of art collecting from mainland Chinese investors has continued to develop away from the idea of historic ‘trophy acquisitions’ and is being replaced by purchases based on a deeper understanding of the market,” says Hui. “A sense of national pride in promoting Eastern aesthetics, and seeking recognition of the artistic integrity of the art and the artists, is aligned with the growing cultural understanding of the Chinese and Asian buyers.

“There is also the increasing popularity of the expressiveness of Chinese ink works among a new generation of artists reinterpreting their cultural identity in a contemporary manner.”

Because of this, Hui believes the future is Chinese. “The art market put its focus on Chinese artists who demonstrated Western avant-garde characteristics, or Chinese art profiled through Western eyes during the first market boom in the last decade. However, I believed this was not the future of Chinese art.”

This applies to classical art pieces, too. “Authentic pieces in good condition, and of fine craftsmanship, tend to rise in value over time,” Coleman says of textile pieces.

As for contemporary pieces, future tastes are likely to be Chinese mixed with global visual influences, even as the East and West engage in a trade war.

“I think the future is more about blending a traditional Chinese/Eastern aesthetic with modern visions and techniques, such as in the realm of contemporary ink art, or Chinese modern art in the 20th century,” says Hui.

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