The Hurun Best-Selling Chinese Artists 2013, a ranking based on the sales volume of their work at public auction in 2012, was released by the Hurun Research Institute on May 9. Data for the list were provided by Artron.net, a professional artwork portal in China.

"The artists on this list represent last year's best-selling artists from 5000 years of Chinese history," said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report. "What is remarkable is that 34 of the Top 100 are alive today."

Among the listed 100 artists, 76 finished their works after the foundation of People's Republic of China in 1949. Among the top ten, nine are traditional Chinese ink painters, with Zhou Chunya being the only one still alive -- and also the only non-Chinese ink painter.

Total sales of the top 100 artists reached US$4.1 billion; the threshold to be listed is US$10 million.

 Zhou Chunya(1955- ): Contemporary Oil Painting (Sales totaling $75 million)

A work by Zhou Chunya [Photo: pitypony.i.sohu.com]

Zhou Chunya is a contemporary Chinese painter renowned for his "Green Dog" series. Influenced by German Expressionism, his works depict rocks, peach trees or dogs, with sharply contrasting colors. They are said to bring about intense aesthetic feelings with their viewers.