Bringing affordable art to new generation

Visitors at a SURGE Art fair in Sanlitun, May 2013, which Tom Pattison participated in.

The art fair became an annual event and he later made it his full time job.

SURGE Art's success reflects the growth of a new generation of Chinese white-collar workers as well as the emergence of more young Chinese artists in the mainstream market, who previously were overshadowed by more prominent figures and were neglected by collectors.

SURGE Art has a roster of more than 2,000 artists and usually works closely with 300 at any one time. It stages free shows and art awards, such as the recent Taikoo Li Young Artist Award, in popular retail spots or art centers in big cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

Pattinson says, while most people buy art because of their appreciation of contemporary culture, some customers snap up works because they see the rapid rise in price of Chinese contemporary art as having "very good investment potential".

While more and more collectors, especially the "more international, younger ones," buy artwork to appreciate the aesthetics, he says that he hopes art will become the next must-have commodity.

"It's like a big pyramid. You have a small number of people at the top collecting expensive art, however, the number of white-collar workers below them is much larger and these are the people who can afford to collect quality accessible art," he says.

"There has been a slight drop in desire for very high-end luxuries in China over the last few years. Whereas previously people wanted Gucci and Louis Vuitton handbags, now people might want something more original, such as a unique work of art."

Contemporary art is about ideas and people are keen to express the social changes they see and experience through art. In this regard, Pattinson believes it is a golden era for Chinese artists who would like to express their ideas about China, which has gone through massive changes.