Songjiang-based firm hosts online art auction

At 8am on November 22, the "Shanghai Yunjian Art" mini program kicked off an online auction of 30 pieces of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and modern Chinese calligraphy and painting artwork.

It was the first online auction organized by Shanghai Yunjian Art Auction Co Ltd, situated in Songjiang, which manages the mini program.

Qi Baishi's "Ink Grapes," starting at 100,000 yuan (US$13,736.26), Zhang Yuguang's colored landscape painting, starting at 10,000 yuan, and Yang Liaogong's cursive calligraphy, starting at 5,000 yuan, were among the artworks up for auction.

Shi Yu, founder of the auction company, is a certified art appraiser and art broker with vast experience serving on expert panels for different art auction organizations.

"Our collection focuses mostly on Haipai (Shanghai style) art, and we intend to present 30 items per auction," Shi said.

"Despite the small scale, our goal is to create a high-quality platform for buyers and sellers to connect."

Users can search "Shanghai Yunjian Art" on WeChat, China's popular multipurpose messaging platform.

To participate in the auction, customers must pay a deposit of 500 yuan. They can also donate their artwork for auction through the company.

In recent years, the rise of Internet auction platforms has opened up new possibilities for the traditional art sector.

"It not only expands transaction channels but also broadens the audience, particularly attracting younger collectors, which injects new vitality into the market," said Liu Jianmin, president of the Shanghai Auction Industry Association.

"The launch of the 'Shanghai Yunjian Art' mini-program also brings new development ideas to the culturally rich Songjiang art market."