Condolences poured in from the East Asian art world during the shocking news of the death of the famous Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming on April 22. Ju died at the age of 85 from suicide.
A household name in the Chinese world, especially in Taiwan and Hong Kong, where his iconic sculptures have long been local landmarks, art world figures, celebrities and the general public have taken to social media. to pay tribute to the late artist. whose work embodied the spirit of East Asian beauty and philosophy.
While reminiscing about Ju’s extraordinary journey from humble beginnings to artistic heights, some art market insiders wondered why the master sculptor was lesser known in the West when he was widely exhibited around the world. . Some wondered if it would be possible to reintroduce Ju to the global art scene, especially in the West.
Ju Ming in front of Place Vendôme in Paris, France during the “Sculptures de Ju Ming” exhibition in December 1997. Photo: Xavier Rossi / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.
“Ju Ming was a pioneer of contemporary ethnic Chinese art… [but] after 2014, Ju Ming ceased almost all of his international activities, disappearing from the world art scene,” writing Katy Shiu-Chih Chien, art entrepreneur and editor of a Taiwanese art magazine Arttouchin his tribute to the late artist, while urging his estate and supporters to consider bringing Ju’s art to the world.
Indeed, over the past decade, Ju has gone from an Asian artist with wide exposure in the West to a name adored exclusively by Asian audiences or lovers of Asian culture.
“He was best known in the West in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ju Ming’s pieces could be seen in England, Paris and Luxembourg,” Tanya Baxter, a London-based merchant and adviser, told ArtnetNews. Baxter began working with Ju in the mid-1990s when she ran a gallery in Hong Kong before returning to London, last showing the artist in London in 2001. But today “there there aren’t that many people asking [for Ju] like before.”
Tai Chi expert Richard Morley practices the ancient martial art next to sculptures by Taiwanese artist Ju Ming at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park March 25, 2010 in Wakefield, England. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.
Born in Taiwan in 1938 when the island was still under Japanese colonial rule, Ju began training as a wood carver in 1953 when he was just 15 years old. After winning several local art awards, he became a student of the famous sculptor Yuyu Yang in 1968. Ju rose to prominence in Taiwan over the next decade, during which he developed his famous series ” Taichi”, inspired by the practice of Chinese martial arts. he took under Yang’s advice. The “Taichi” series quickly became the artist’s most emblematic creation. He also expanded his practice by exploring various materials ranging from wood to bronze. With the “Living World” series, Ju has firmly established himself as a renowned artist in his native Taiwan. In 1999, Ju Ming opened his museum on the island.
Ju held his first overseas exhibition at the Tokyo Central Art Museum in Japan in 1977, followed by a series of institutional and historical gallery exhibitions at venues such as the Hong Kong Arts Center in Hong Kong in 1980, the Max Hutchinson Gallery and the Phyllis Kind Gallery in New York. throughout the 1980s, and the South Bank Center in London and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the UK in 1991. Recalling the two landmark UK exhibitions, veteran Hong Kong gallerist and curator Johnson Chang noted that the exhibits had created “an instant sensation” and paved the way. for him to further present the artist through exhibitions across Europe, including an exhibition in 1997 at Place Vendôme in Paris.
Taiwanese artist Ju Ming poses for a photo with his sculptures from the ‘Living World’ series on display at the Hong Kong Art Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui, February 26, 2014. This was the artist’s last major exhibition outside of Taiwan. Photo: Edward Wong/South China Morning Post via Getty Images.
Simon Stock, Sotheby’s senior specialist in Impressionist and Modern Art, Europe and Asia, has brought Ju’s work to the European market, notably in “Beyond Limits”, the house’s series of outdoor sculpture sales exhibitions. which he co-organized. Works from the “Taichi” series were featured in the shows held at Chatsworth, the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, in 2007, 2009 and 2016.
“His embrace of direct carving is something prized in both the West and Asia,” Stock told Artnet News, citing the wooden pieces from the “Taichi” series. He called Ju “a spectacular sculptor” who did work that bridges the gap between the spaces of “the monumentality and the rigidity of matter and material”.
But despite those well-received showcases, Stock agreed that Ju could have been better recognized in the west. “It’s a shame we don’t find his work more widely available on the secondary market in auction houses such as New York, Paris and London.”
One reason, Stock pointed out, could be the lack of a sustained, large-scale push for the artist by a major international gallery over the past decade. Another reason could be related to the continued success of the artist’s work in Asia. A quick look at Artnet’s price database reveals that nearly all of the top 100 auction records of Ju’s works have occurred in Hong Kong or Taiwan. His auction record stands at $2.7 million for an edition of the iconic bronze sculpture Single whip from the “Taichi” series, sold at a 2010 Ravenel sale in Taipei.
Ju Ming’s Single whip sculpture from his “Tai Chi” series at Citygarden in St. Louis, Missouri, 2017. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images.
“It’s hard to convince a consignee to sell in the west when there’s a demonstrated success rate in Asia,” Stock noted. “But then, that doesn’t mean that [sales in Asia] sell exclusively to Asian buyers.
Ada Tsui, Christie’s Specialist and Daily Sale Manager, 20th/21st Century Art, based in Hong Kong, confirmed to Artnet News that prices for Ju’s sculptures have been stable over the past decade. They have also been a regular feature in the house sale each season, including three works which will be offered at the upcoming Hong Kong Spring Sales towards the end of May.
“Based on our data from 2020 to April 2023, approximately 90% of buyers of his works are from Asia; the rest were from the United States and the United Kingdom,” Tsui noted, adding that some of the shippers are based in the west.
More collectors from Asia and the West may want to “own some of his legacy” after the artist’s tragic death, Tsui noted. But bringing Ju back into the global art discourse will take more than just sales.
Dealer Baxter said that due to logistical challenges for heavy sculptures, organizing an exhibition and finding the right platform to showcase Ju’s work will take time. Chien, on the other hand, urged the artist’s estate to strengthen and improve the authentication of Ju’s work, whose current process has made it difficult to trade the works on the secondary market, according to a market insider. who asked to remain anonymous.
“International gallery exhibitions and other high-profile retrospective sales could help. Perhaps several galleries have researched and explored this option, but there could be complications that we are not aware of,” the market insider told Artnet News.
“Now that the artist has sadly passed away, it is hoped that the estate has placed good, experienced people in positions to care for his legacy and carry it forward,” Stock noted.
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