Highlights at Frieze
As an Asian art specialist living in London, each year I attend Frieze Masters and Frieze London to gauge current Asian art market trends. There have been many shifts over the past five years, due to a combination of post-pandemic markets, an increasing demand for non-Western art forms, and even AI’s impact on the availability of art market information (with varying levels of accuracy, as is discussed in my recent article here). There was a wealth of Asian art available at both fairs this year, so I have selected a handful of highlights from each.
Frieze Masters
Frieze Masters has traditionally prioritized artworks that are antique through Modern (i.e. not Contemporary), but the past few years have seen more flexibility in this area. This year, Contemporary Japanese ceramics and other decorative arts took the spotlight. Joost van den Bergh Gallery is known for its antique Indian art, but has also displayed Contemporary Japanese art at recent fairs. This gallery included Japanese ceramics at Frieze Masters this year, with three celadon crackle wares by ceramicist Nakashima Hiroshi (1941-2018). Nakashima Hiroshi was best known for his celadon wares with a Guan-inspired crackle glaze. Most of his celadons are a pale blue, which made the green vase on display (asking price: 8,500 GBP) at Frieze Masters stand out. Guan/Ge crackle wares originated in Song Dynasty China, but spread throughout East Asia and are now popular globally. Nakashima’s ceramics artfully balance East Asian tradition with delicate and masterful Contemporary Japanese craftsmanship, often taking on shapes that would not have been found in Dynastic China. Thomsen Gallery, which is known for its Japanese lacquer, bamboo, ceramics, and folding screens, was the other main Japanese highlight at Frieze Masters.
I would be remiss to cover Frieze Masters without mentioning an antique object. I was delighted to come across an Epirus embroidery at Moshe Tabibnia Gallery, which is known for its Asian textiles. Epirus textiles are not strictly considered Asian art, but rather more of a hybrid category associated with the Ionian and northwestern Greek regions under Ottoman rule. For this reason, they are often grouped together with other Asian art objects. Epirus textiles are easily identifiable by their vibrant reds, blues, and greens against a neutral background. Common motifs include parrots, vases, and flowers, which are found here. This textile was already sold by the time I viewed it, but similar textiles are often sold on the London market for roughly 5,000 GBP – 15,000 GBP, depending on size, level of craftsmanship, and condition.
Frieze London
Of the Asian art selections available at Frieze London (which only features Contemporary art) this year, Korean paintings were the predominant recurring theme. Over the past few years, I have seen works by Contemporary Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun (1935 – ) displayed at both Frieze Masters and Frieze London. Ha Chong-Hyun is a leading artist of the Korean Dansaekhwa (monochrome) movement. While I didn’t come across any at the former this year, at least three galleries (Kukje Gallery, Tina Kim Gallery, and Almine Rech) featured his paintings at Frieze London. The artist’s oil on hemp cloth paintings are instantly recognizable for his technique of pushing paint from the back of the hemp cloth material so that it seeps through to the front, creating a distinct, three-dimensional surface, often in rectangular shapes. While the prices were not publicized, this artist is considered blue-chip with a very stable market. Last year, his auction results averaged approximately $90,000 (often far exceeding this!).
I wonder what trends we will see at London’s Frieze fairs next year? The past few years have demonstrated a rapid evolution of collectors’ tastes and market trends – I look forward to discovering what is in store for 2026.
Originally from San Francisco, California, Ashley Innes (née Crawford) is an experienced Asian art valuer and provenance researcher. Her specialties include ceramics, Buddhist antiques, Indian miniature paintings, Southeast Asian art, and musical instruments.