In Taipei and Beijing, Asia Art Center Nurtures Diversity across Generations

Anchored in the lively art scenes of Taipei and Beijing, Asia Art Center is a prime example of how long-standing local stalwarts are setting their eyes on the international stage. Initially founded by Thomas Lee in 1982, the Taipei-born gallery began with a deep focus on Chinese and Taiwanese art. Now, under the leadership of Lee’s sons, Alan and Steven, it is expanding its scope to include a diverse range of global artistic expressions, showcasing its dedication to both preserving heritage and embracing contemporary innovation.

Thomas, now 80 years old, studied at the National Taiwan University of the Arts before opening Asia Art Center in the 1980s. There, his studies played a pivotal role in shaping his deep appreciation and discerning eye for the arts. Asia Art Center, under Thomas Lee’s guidance, later showcased works by prominent modern artists such as Yang San-Lang and Hung Jui-Lin in the 1980s. By the late ’90s, the gallery had expanded its roster to include members of the influential Ton Fan Group and the Fifth Moon Art Group, as well as the works of Gao Xingjian 高行健, a painter and Nobel Prize laureate in literature.

Continuing this legacy of commitment, Alan and Steven have propelled Asia Art Center into new international domains. In 2007, Alan ventured to China to open Asia Art Center’s second gallery space in Beijing’s 798 Art Zone, marking a step towards a broader outreach and gallery expansion effort. Locally, the brothers have bolstered their gallery space, relocating the Taipei flagship into a 1,800-square-meter (19,000-square-foot) space at the center of Taipei’s Art District. Above all, these changes have helped the co-directors usher in artists from the U.S., Europe, and other parts of Asia, cultivating a dialogue between their impressive roster of established names and emerging talent from abroad.

“We see ourselves as a bridge which connects Asian and Western cultures,” Alan said. “The programs in our Taipei and Beijing galleries target different clientele, yet we share the same goal of preserving Asian art and keeping up with the international art scene at the same time.”

Ultimately, according to Wen-Su Lo, project manager at Asia Art Center Taipei, incorporating emerging artists, such as Carlo D’Anselmi and Katja Farin, into the gallery’s roster has proven beneficial for business. In an interview with Artsy, she revealed its collector base is getting younger. While painting remains the most desirable medium, collectors are seeking art from outside the region.

“[The gallery] started with Taiwanese and Chinese masters, and now we are working with a lot of younger emerging and mid-career artists, so things have changed a lot throughout the 40 years,” said Lo. “A lot of the collectors that we work with right now are much younger, in their thirties or forties. The younger collectors are very interested and very keen to learn and expand their collections with works by international artists.”

Asia Art Center is also expanding its relationships with artists outside Asia, introducing its collectors to up-and-coming Western artists. “The Invention of a Graphic Score,” on view until December 24th, presents a solo exhibition from London-based artist Andrew Pierre Hart. Hart’s art, characterized by cross-modality, reconstructs languages and generates ideas through methods rooted in collective memory and improvisation. Here, his latest work approaches the interplay between painting and sound—paying homage to underrepresented figures in technological advancement, such as Mae C. Jemison, the first Black woman to travel to space.

Meanwhile, the gallery has brought on several ultra-contemporary artists, most recently announcing the representation of American artist Michelle Blade. These artists represent the gallery’s evolving narrative, marking a shift between its traditional focus as well as a more diverse and global artistic dialogue.

In addition to artists from the Western Hemisphere, the gallery is also focusing on expanding its program of Japanese art. Lo shared, “Local Taiwanese taste is actually very Japanese where a lot of people are very into the [Japanese culture of cuteness] ‘kawaii.’” However, she noted that is not the typical style of Asia Art Center. Wen added that the influence of the 50-year-long Japanese occupation of Taiwan, between 1895 and 1945, remains culturally significant. Today, Asia Art Center works very closely with New York-based Japanese artist Meguru Yamaguchi, whose works have proven to be hugely popular on an international scale. This collaboration is a representation of how the gallery is breaking cultural boundaries between Japan, Taiwan, and the West.