Leading contemporary Chinese ink artist Liu Dan is holding his largest solo show to date at Phillips’ space in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District. The selling exhibition, titled “Liu Dan: Morphogenesis,” features 26 Chinese ink and watercolour works created over four decades, with a focus on Taihu stone—a perforated limestone from Suzhou that has long inspired Chinese scholars. The centerpiece is “Taihu Rock aka ‘Yu Ling Long’ (from Yu Garden, Shanghai) (2024),” priced at HK$10 million (US$1.3 million), the highest in the show. The exhibition runs until May 12.
This show matters because it highlights the enduring relevance of traditional Chinese ink painting in a contemporary context, while also demonstrating the global market’s appetite for such works—especially at a major auction house like Phillips. Liu Dan’s fusion of Chinese ink techniques with Western influences underscores a broader cultural dialogue, and the high price point for the featured piece signals strong collector interest in this niche but significant segment of the art market.