Phillips Appoints Qing Shen as Senior Consultant in Mainland China & Wenjia Zhang as Private Sales Director for Asian Clients in Paris

Hong Kong – 1 February 2023

Phillips has happily announced Qing Shen's appointment as Senior Consultant, China, located in Shanghai. Ms. Shen will be responsible for overseeing the Business Development team headquartered in mainland China, expanding Phillips' customer base to support its development, and representing the company's business in the market.

Former Regional Director of China for Phillips, Wenjia Zhang, has gone to Paris to assume the position of Private Sales Director, Asian Clients. Ms. Zhang will concentrate on expanding private sales with Asian clientele and building networks among Asian collectors, dealers, curators, and other market participants in the contemporary art sector.

 stated Jonathan Crockett, Chairman, Asia, Phillips.

"Over the last five years, our company in mainland China has enjoyed phenomenal development, with worldwide auction sales transactional activity increasing by 318 percent. With Qing's exceptional grasp of the luxury sector in mainland China and strong network of China-based high-net-worth people, Phillips will continue to provide the finest service to our customers in mainland China and increase our market presence. I think that the reopening of the Chinese economy will help our company in Asia, and I look forward to working with Qing until 2023 and beyond. As the importance of Private Sales to the firm grows, I look forward to continuing to work closely with Wenjia to enhance the amount of private sales with Asian customers."

Prior to joining Phillips, Qing Shen worked as a Consultant for R.G.R.T Group, where she was responsible for establishing partnerships with artists, designers, and international companies in order to create new NFT projects and expand the medium's audience in mainland China. From 2019 until 2021, she also worked as Tatler's Managing Director, China, where she was responsible for the company's total operations in mainland China.

In addition, she has served as the president of the Genesis Art Museum in Beijing and had top leadership positions in the luxury media industry in mainland China for such companies as the Financial Times, Modern Media Group, and Target Magazine. In addition to her 17 years of expertise in luxury leadership, she is a trained attorney who practised law for 16 years in mainland China and the United States before beginning her career in the luxury industry.

Wenjia Zhang, Director of Private Sales for Asian Clients

In 2018, Wenjia Zhang joined Phillips as China Regional Director. In her new position situated in Paris, she will assist in the execution of all areas of private sales activity for Asian customers, as well as the sale of exhibits. This requires interdepartmental coordination, business acquisition, private sales curation, knowledge, and procedure.

Phillips has hired 27 new employees since the beginning of 2022, and has made a series of key appointments to strengthen its Business Development team in the region, including the appointment of Robert Sleigh as the Managing Director, Asia, based in Hong Kong, in preparation for the opening of the new Asia Headquarters in March 2023.

This March, Phillips enters a new era in Asia with the opening of its beautiful new headquarters in the WKCDA Tower in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, built by Herzog & de Meuron and LAAB Architects. Phillips will be the first international auction house in Hong Kong to have a permanent purpose-built exhibition space, saleroom, café, and VIP lounge, enabling for year-round events and auctions in its own location. The new Asia headquarters spans over 50,000 square feet over six floors.

More about PHILLIPS

Phillips is the world's most popular marketplace for 20th- and 21st-century artwork and furnishings. With expertise in 20th-century and contemporary art, design, photography, editions, timepieces, and jewellery, Phillips offers expert services and advice on all aspects of collecting. Salerooms in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong host auctions and displays, while regional offices in Europe, North America, and Asia assist with client support. Phillips also offers an accessible online auction platform all around the world. Phillips not only offers buying and selling at auctions, but also facilitates private transactions, offers assistance with assessments and valuations, and offers other financial services. For more information, go to www.phillips.com.