After the plagiarism scandal came to light in the Chinese media earlier this year, Galerie Jos Depypere experienced an abnormal influx of Chinese customers with an unprecedented interest in Christian Silvain’s works.
Meanwhile, the works of artist, curator and professor Ye Yongqing experienced an extraordinary decline. Chinese newspapers spat Ye out, and the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts maintained zero tolerance toward plagiarists.
The news that a Chinese plagiarized Christian Silvain’s work consists of years of research conducted by Jos Depypere and Christian Silvain himself. The research shows that Silvain was actually the first to begin making paintings in his famous style. “Silvain was six years earlier. We can clearly demonstrate that. So we think Yongqing attended an exhibition of Silvain in Paris or obtained a catalog. Only then did he start working in the same style. “Meanwhile, he has already made millions by copying Silvain’s paintings. By the way, he does not limit himself to copying complete works. Sometimes he only enlarges details. With one such painting he even exhibited in Brussels.” – Jos Depypere.
In preparation for a potential lawsuit to be filed in China, the scandal brought unprecedented opportunities for Silvain’s work where. In September 2019, Galerie Jos Depypere was offered the opportunity to exhibit sixteen original works by Christian Silvan in Shanghai and Beijing. The first exhibition in the Chinese countryside became a reality in November 2019. Organized by L’Ettincelle Art Space in collaboration with Galerie Jos Depypere, the expo took place at JIC Boostore Shanghai on the northern side of the famous Bund. It would be the first time Christian Silvain’s artworks would meet Chinese art lovers.
In late December, the works will be transferred to Beijing to then find a place at the VZW L’etincelle Art Space, Shanghai, later in the year.
Extra information/News articles
- Artist page: Christian Silvain
- Event page: Expositie in Shanghai & Beijing, 2019
- Het Laatste Nieuws (2019, BE): "Chinees wordt rijk door Kluisbergse kunstenaar Christian Silvain te kopiëren: “Hij durft zelfs in Brussel te exposeren met mijn werk'""
- Het Nieuwsblad (2019, BE): "Vlaamse kunstenaar moet lijdzaam toekijken hoe “plagiaatchinees” zijn werk steelt: “Hij verdient er miljoenen mee”"
- Het Nieuwsblad (2019, BE): "Na 25 jaar eindelijk erkenning voor Vlaamse kunstenaar: China spuwt “plagiaatchinees” uit"
- Het Nieuwsblad (2019, BE): "Belgische kunstenaar Silvain in één klap wereldberoemd door plagiaatschandaal: “Chinees uit Beijing wil al zijn werken in één keer opkopen”"
- Het Nieuwsblad (2020, BE): "Chinese professor verdiende grof geld met kopieerde werken van Vlaamse kunstschilder Christian en die pikt dat niet meer"
- VRT nieuws (2020, BE): "Belgische kunstenaar geplagieerd door Chinese professor: "Schadevergoeding bedraagt miljoenen euro’s""
- ASIA Times (2019): "Copied art ‘sold for more than the original’"
- Sixth Tone (2019): "Belgian Artist Mulling Lawsuit Against Alleged Chinese Copycat"
- Art Market Journal (2019, CHINA): "Ye Yongqing is accused of plagiarising works for 30 years from a Belgian artist"
- Art Asia Pacific (2019, CHINA): "Christian Silvain Accuses Ye Yongqing of Plagiarism"
