Art Market and the Auction Business

Overview

Join art market professionals during Christie's Spring Auction week for a half-day programme to understand auction dynamics, the art market in 2023, and current tastes and trends. Participants will receive first-hand experience to view a live auction, and gain insights on how an auction is run and set up. 

Speaker

Sara Mao
Director
Christie’s Education Asia Pacific

Sara Mao is the Director for Christie’s Education in Asia Pacific, overseeing the development of programmes and partnerships across Hong Kong, China, and South East Asia. Sara joined Christie’s in 2008 and was appointed Specialist Head of Sale for Chinese Modern Paintings in 2015, and then as Director for Christie’s Education in 2018.

Sara has curated over ten seasons of auctions for some of the most iconic paintings in the field of Chinese paintings, nurturing client relationships with seasoned collectors and new buyers, and leading the growth of the category through securing consignments globally for auction and private sales. She was responsible for spearheading record-breaking sales of Fu Baoshi’s The Song of the Pipa Player for HKD204.8 million, and Zhang Daqian’s Ancient Temples Amidst Clouds for HKD102.4 million, in 2017.

Bringing her specialist experience to education, she currently leads programmes in Asian Art, Art Business and Luxury Connoisseurship, with a focus on Women Artists and Art & Tech. She was the curator for Christie’s Art + Tech Summit “Mixed Realities” in 2019, and co-convenor for Christie’s Education’s first online academic conference “The Chinese Art Market”, in 2020. 

Sara is also an auctioneer for Christie’s, supporting numerous charity auctions including Save the Children, Ronald McDonald House, Make a Wish Foundation, The National Kidney Foundation (SNG), and others.

After receiving her B.A. in Philosophy & English Literature at the University of York (UK), Sara acquired her Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP Law School (UK) and a Master of Letters in History of Art and Connoisseurship, with a concentration in Chinese art, from Christie’s Education and the University of Glasgow.

Yi Gao
Programme Lead
Christie’s Education Asia Pacific

As Programme Lead of Christie’s Education Asia Pacific, Yi is responsible for developing course curricula and programme content, as well as supporting teaching, studying and recruitment. Prior to joining Christie’s, she completed her M.A. in Art, Law and Business, awarded jointly by Christie’s Education London and University of Glasgow College of Arts. 

Yi is a qualified attorney licensed to practice in New York and practiced corporate and capital markets law at the global law firm of Kirkland & Ellis. She holds a B.A. in Law from Beijing Foreign Studies University and L.L.M. from New York University School of Law. Yi has studied and worked in Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Washington D.C. and London, and is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.