The Collector | Scandal surrounding Chinese artist Ye Yongqing, accused of plagiarism, has left collectors fuming
The renowned painter, who has exhibited all over the world, denies that he has copied Belgian artist Christian Silvain, and is seeking legal advice
Last month, Belgian artist Christian Silvain accused Chinese painter Ye Yongqing of having plagiarised his work since the 1980s, with some of the “copies” selling for a lot more than the originals did. By the first week of March, the claim – originally made on Belgian television – had gone viral on WeChat, China’s popular social-media platform. The online community seems to be on the 69-year-old Silvain’s side. Ye himself acknowledges Silvain as a major artistic influence but denies that this amounts to plagiarism.
“You think that I am a liar, and I have amassed great wealth by plagiarising your works, and that I am supported by many people with a vested interest. However, none of this is true,” Ye said in an online statement on March 18, adding that he was seeking legal advice.
Place the two artists’ grid paintings side by side and it is a case of “spot the difference”. The childlike illustrations, symbols and colour palette are almost identical.
If [Ye] doesn’t apologise, I plan to invite the Belgian artist to show at the museum, and then label all the Ye paintings as ‘copies’ from now on
In Ye’s paintings, you can find Silvain’s arrangement of original symbols in a grid-like design, such as strange, black birds and the silhouette of a tree, faithfully replicated. Sure, there are differences here and there. But it is hard to believe that Ye came up with all this “Out of Nothing”, as his solo exhibition at Shanghai’s Yuz Museum last year was called.
