Liu yiqian biography

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Many Chinese were not amused by his action and disgust. After years of collecting art, Liu and his wife decided to open a private museum that would house their collection. The museum aims to show the brilliant achievements of Chinese art history alongside the new perspective that contemporary Chinese art brings to the world. In addition, there were speculations that the billionaire investor also bought Modigliani’s portrait of Paulette Jourdain, who was the artist’s young muse.

Although, many people were not surprised about the art buy. 1465-1487) cup, Liu Yiqian, also sparked a major controversy when he took a sip from the almost $4 million cup. With a big smile of satisfaction on his face, he raised the cup to his mouth joyfully. For Yiqian, drinking from the cup may have had an even deeper meaning: It creates a bond between Emperor Qianlong, who used the cup in the 14th century, and Liu Yiqian, the present owner.

ART AUCTION NEWS | READ ALSO:Chicken Cup Sold for $36 Million at Sotheby’s Now With New Owner

Liu Yiqian is not a stranger to controversy.

Soon after, he began helping his mother with her handbag business. Born in 1963 to an ordinary working-class family in Shanghai, Liu’s path to the top was filled with patches and potholes.

After dropping out of school at 14, Liu Yiqian was unsure what to for a living so he became a taxi driver.

liu yiqian biography

They were enraged by Liu’s maltreatment of a cultural treasure. Some even described him as narcissistic, accusing him of showing off his wealth.

Liu Yiqian was quick to respond to the condemnation and uproar engendered by his drinking from this very expensive cultural treasure. By undercutting them he outsold them.

It was the beginning of the 1980s, and the earliest roots of China's move to capitalism were being put in place.

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The Long Museum is a private art museum founded by husband-and-wife art collectors, Mr. Liu Yiqian and Ms. Wang Wei. The museum is located in three iconic sites in the city of Shanghai and Chongqing – the Long Museum Pudong, the Long Museum West Bund and the Long Museum Chongqing.

They are tapping into the desire of Chinese art collectors to spend on modern and contemporary art.

Chinese billionaire art collector Liu Yiqian rose from a humble beginning to become a major player in the global art circuit. According to him, drinking from the cup was a spontaneous response to events after the auction when a Sotheby’s staffer offered him tea.

China's billionaires: Liu Yiqian, China's biggest art collector

As my crew fussed around his office preparing for the interview, Liu appeared unfazed, intently studying a huge screen of stock prices, a cigarette in one hand, and a mug of tea by his side.

Born in 1963 into an ordinary working class family in Shanghai, Liu left school at 14 to help his mother with her handbag business.

He was one of the earliest investors in the Shanghai stock. Liu Yiqian Modigliani will be one of the artworks in his Long Museum.

About Long Museum

Many of the works collected by Liu Yiqian are on display at the Long Museum, a museum he set up with his wealthy wife, Wang Wei in 2012. Liu has been very consistent in how he pays for his art purchases: American Express.

The payment for the Thangka was also purportedly made using his American Express card. the most pertinent issue for many art journalists was that by buying the piece, the 50-year-old collector had set a record for any Chinese work of art sold by an international auction house. Image courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd

CHINA— When Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian bought a 600-year-old imperial embroidered Tibetan tapestry at Christie’s auction for $45 million, there was an instant response from across the globe.