Hidenori Ota, Founder of Ota Fine Arts.
Hidenori Ota. Courtesy Ota Fine Arts.
In recent years, how has the interest of international collectors and collectors from other Asian countries in Japanese contemporary art developed?
In the past, it was mainly western art professionals who visited galleries, but now people from East and Southeast Asia are coming to visit. They can find out where museums and galleries are, and what they can see and buy, with just their mobile phone. Alongside the Asian visitors, there are also a lot of Westerners. For a moment, Asia is like Europe, and everyone is free to move around, and enjoy the city and its culture.
Installation view: Maria Farrar | Overseas, 2022, Ota Fine Arts Tokyo, Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts
With the increasing number of Chinese people moving to Tokyo, has the impact of Chinese buyers on the Japanese art market become noticeable?
The art market is not as influenced by China’s love of the real estate market or the food and beverage market in Japan.
However, in Japan, there are special, wealthy people (sometimes called Otaku) who have been sniffing out and collecting the best artists from all corners of Asia for a long time, and they have a surprisingly good grasp of both blue-chip and up-and-coming artists. In particular, I think that the fast-changing enthusiast movement in Hong Kong is leading the way.
Installation view: Ming Wong | Cosmic Theatre, 2023, Ota Fine Arts Tokyo, Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts
As a gallerist with galleries in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Singapore, what do you think are the advantages of Tokyo’s art market compared to Shanghai and Singapore? In which areas do you look forward to seeing improvement?
Tokyo enthusiasts seem to be less confident in their actions than in their knowledge, perhaps because of language barriers or a drop in income. They are concerned about the opinions of others and their reputation on the secondary market. It is a pity, because there is a cultural fabric that has enjoyed a huge number of world exhibitions for decades, with many museums.
I believe that China, which is economically quiet at the moment, will continue to be a dominant force in the future, including among the younger generation.
Art fans in Singapore are shy and tend to take their time, but emerging markets can change suddenly, so keep an open eye on them. I also believe that being in Singapore, as well as Hong Kong, will become a richer place in the years to come as people from Thailand, Indonesia and India come and go in Singapore.
