A Toast to World-Class Philippine Artists

Hong Kong was the place to be for collectors, artists and lovers of art, who arrived for the 12th edition of Art Basel Hong Kong in the last week of March. After the VIP preview, the fair opened to the public and ran from 28 to 30 March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Wan Chai district. Despite earlier trepidations, the event concluded spectacularly with the sale of a Yayoi Kusama work, among other million-dollar deals closed during the fair. 

Art Basel is a cornerstone of the Asian Region’s art scene, which has flourished despite the fluctuations in the market. This edition marked a positive turn as collectors, including younger generations, flocked to see the best works offered by about 240 galleries from 42 countries. Among those who witnessed the upward trend was Ames Yavuz founder Can Yavuz, a renowned gallerist with branches in Singapore, Sydney and by 25 April, in London’s Mayfair section. 

To celebrate the sale of a piece by his gallery’s featured artist, Elmer Borlongan, Yavuz, together with Manila’s top interior designer Jonathan Matti, feted Borlongan and his wife, Plet Bolipata, with a dinner last 28 March at Hong Kong’s storied The Foreign Correspondence Club.

The international art scene’s powerhouse personalities came to feast on lobster bisque, osso bucco and a delectable mushroom risotto. Of course, the spread was paired with only the best — Amarone Valpolicello Classico 2015, Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2019 and to toast the evening’s honorees, Perrier-Jouet Champagne. 

It was a perfect evening to cap a weekend of fabulous art. The room was filled with potted flowers and illuminated with candlelight to cast a soft golden glow. Art Basel is not only for the pursuit of the best in contemporary art but also for experiencing camaraderie among patrons and artists in a convivial and vibrant city of Hong Kong.