UNICEF HK unveils charity art exhibition inspired by the next generation
At the end of October, charitable organisation UNICEF HK unveiled a special exhibition entitled The Illumination of Love and Philanthropy at ifc mall in Central. The two-week event was targeted at highlighting the importance and value of giving unconditional love to the children of the world.
For the special occasion, two renowned contemporary Chinese artists – Ren Zhen Yu and Zou Cao – created a series of distinctive portrait paintings that paid tribute to the contributions and philanthropy of such noted celebrity figures as Mother Teresa, actress Audrey Hepburn, Singapore ex-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and the legendary Bruce Lee.
Artist Zou Cao with his portrait of Bruce Lee at the recent UNICEF HK art exhibition
In keeping with the charitable drive of the exhibition, the public were invited to participate in the Pay It Forward campaign onsite and contribute donations towards various UNICEF HK programmes worldwide. In return, they received an electronic postcard featuring one of the displayed artworks as a keep-sake of the event.
Taking the spirit of generosity one step further, Art Futures Group, the region’s dedicated Chinese contemporary art specialist and creative partner of UNICEF HK for The Illumination of Love and Philanthropy, further donated HK$5 per postcard created.
Artist Ren Zhen Yu with his portrait of Elizabeth Taylor at the recent UNICEF HK art exhibition
Jeremy Kasler, CEO of Art Futures Group ,said of the exhibition: “AFG is honored to be part of this meaningful project. Through the distinctive style of two well-known Chinese contemporary artists, Ren Zhen Yu and Zou Cao, art acts as the bridge to transform the wisdom of our ancestors and uplift the excellence of our next generation, our children through art.”
Inside Hong Kong’s Art Futures Group
As world leaders in Chinese contemporary art for investment, Art Futures Group offers international investors a chance to diversify their portfolio and gain a foothold into this lucrative market.
We talked to Jeremy Kasler, founder and CEO of Art Futures Group to learn more about art investment.
As an entrepreneur from a very early age, what are your earliest memories and experiences and who inspired your career path?
My earliest memory as an entrepreneur is selling Christmas wrapping paper on the street corner in the UK. During my teenage years, I did this every Christmas to ensure I had money to buy presents and generally enjoy the things that teenagers do. If it rained, we sold umbrellas. This was my first lesson in adapting to meet different market conditions.
My inspiration was my grandfather, the hardest working man I have ever met. He worked for himself his entire life and was very committed to his business. A man of great morals, he was hugely respected by those that knew him and was a great inspiration to me as an entrepreneur.
Before Art Futures Group (AFG), you were in the property and investment sector. What inspired you to move into the art industry?
I wandered into a gallery in Singapore and was appalled by the lack of transparency when I was told that the piece of art I was looking at was a good investment “because it will go up in value”. In that moment, I decided it was time to create a company to bring fair pricing and transparency to this market.
How is AFG bringing art investment from the high-cost playing field of the elite to middle class working professionals and Gen Y investors?
Before we opened in Hong Kong, the only way to get art investment advice was to commit US$2,000,000 to the market and in return, HSBC would allocate you an advisor. With no one to help the average man, we decided to offer a service to help the mid-range clientele invest in artworks in the HK$200,000 – $800,000 category.
How do you help your clients gain a profit through your end-to-end investment service?
First, we identify artists that we believe have investment potential and then help to secure selected pieces on our client’s behalf. During this process, we perform a substantial amount of due diligence to find the art pieces with the best prospects for capital growth including monitoring the market to give buy and sell recommendations, just as a stockbroker would. Finally, we provide certificates of provenance to show the artwork was purchased directly from the artist. This is significant when putting the artwork to auction or for sale.
Jeremy Kasler, founder and CEO of Art Futures Group
AFG also provides rental services of the purchased piece. How can this maximise a client’s potential profit?
We have a leasing department that in many cases allows us to rent the client’s artwork to third parties. This creates a residual income over and above the capital growth and is paid quarterly to the client just like a dividend.
What advice would you give to art enthusiasts who may be looking to invest in this lucrative market?
Buy original artworks, not prints. Try and find a certain sector you enjoy, for example Chinese contemporary art, and concentrate on that. Always establish a good provenance as there are many copies out there. Finally, buy the best you can afford.
