Chapter 680 - 311: I Am Elder Cao’s Successor

The chubby uncle’s words were not entirely genuine.

His main purpose was to use rustic sweet talk to flatter his wife, make her happy, and get approval to have a couple more chicken rice balls.

But it was also a straightforward summary of the artist’s career.

The simplest example is the same disciple of Mr. Cao Xuan.

In the art circle and in media publications, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the concept of "last disciple" and "Cao Xuan’s successor" had been created.

After this auction in Xiangjiang, Tang Ning has become the most highly valued among the siblings, worth as much as several Professor Lin Taos.

Is Tang Ning’s painting skill really better than Lin Tao, who could be her father in age?

Even if it is better?

Can it really be that much better?

Of course not.

Just the fact that Little Sister Tang Ning is considered Cao Xuan’s youngest last disciple in the Asian art circle carries significant special meaning.

Although Professor Lin Tao is older, he is not the first disciple.

Collectors naturally assume that Tang Ning’s work has more investment value and potential to appreciate.

This huge advantage from her identity has nothing to do with painting skills.

This is like how Professor Lin Tao, compared to other ordinary artists, enjoys a natural identity advantage as well.

The entire Asian cultural world places all their hopes and expectations for the cultural heritage of the centenarian grandmaster on this female artist.

Of the same age.

If a female artist mixed to the level of Lady Anya of the Zaohe Space Art Gallery, she’d already be among the most successful 0.01%, but Tang Ning’s current net worth is nearly 100 times that.

When she reaches the same age as Yayoi Kusama, where will her limits be?

During the time Lady Tang Ning was hosting auctions in Xiangjiang, she nearly enjoyed the same treatment as Wang Fei performing concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

From her hotel accommodations to travel shopping, there were paparazzi watching her 24/7.

This is the kind of treatment that only super artists like Hirst and Takashi Murakami of the top tiers with the most hot topics receive in this pan-entertainment era.

Gu Weijing scrolled down the page.

Among a heap of gossip news about Tang Ning’s exclusive shopping sprees in luxury stores and dining with veteran Hong Kong stars at Victoria Harbor.

He found the interview that Lin Tao hinted he should take a look at.

[Exclusive Interview with Tang Ning: An Artistic Genius at 43 – The Second Half of Life, Where Do We Go From Here?]

For this spring auction, Tang Ning specifically came to the auction site.

The auction is not a stage for a pop star to perform.

Opportunities for reporters to interview the artist themselves are rare.

Even so, Tang Ning coordinated with Sotheby’s for a few brief promotions on TVB Hong Kong Unlimited TV Station, with simple and formulaic interview content.

However, Oil Painting Magazine deserves its reputation as the most influential popular art magazine.

After the auction completely concluded, it got a chance for direct face-to-face interviews with Tang Ning.

The complete and professional lengthy interview would later be published as a cover story in the May issue of Oil Painting’s subscription magazine.

To be featured as a cover figure in Oil Painting Magazine.

This honor for an art professional is comparable to being on the cover of Time Magazine, perhaps even heavier.

For example, Banks appeared on the cover of Time Magazine.

But the Oil Painting Magazine believed that his fame was more due to the mystification of his persona and the deconstruction of artist identity by popular entertainment.

The artistic and aesthetic value contained in his works alone is not sufficient to support a weighty cover interview.

He’s just a "second-rate painter who conceals and reveals themselves".

Following Tang Ning’s auction boom, she received an interview request from Oil Painting Magazine, truly a double celebration, welcoming multiple recognitions of wealth and artistic status.

Before the release of the complete lengthy cover report.

As a convention,

Oil Painting Magazine will edit the most eye-catching and topical questions from the interview, releasing them as a trailer to attract more non-serious art enthusiasts to subscribe and buy.

The interview video in front of Gu Weijing was precisely the interview preview released by Oil Painting Magazine.

"Miss Tang Ning, two months ago we met in London, but as an editor from Oil Painting Magazine interviewing you, if I remember correctly, that should have been six years ago at Suzhou and Hangzhou Water Village?"

The interviewing journalist was a full-time editor responsible for the Asian region in the visual arts section of Oil Painting Magazine.

A Singaporean Chinese.

Like all editors of Oil Painting Magazine, the journalist himself is a seasoned art critic.

Both sides were high-society acquaintances in the Asian art circle, making the conversation very familiar.

"Yeah, at the old man’s birthday banquet, we did an interview."

The camera showed Tang Ning with an oval face and slightly rounded chin.

She looked somewhat like the middle-aged version of the Republic Era star Hu Die, with slightly girl-like features amidst her serious expression, wearing an unbranded gray thin trench coat.

Exuding a strong literary vibe.

"I still remember that scene from that year. At the time, the news was circulating that Mr. Cao Xuan seemed to be retiring, which shocked everyone in the art world. Our Oil Painting Magazine wanted to take this opportunity to do another cover feature interview with Mr. Cao Xuan after nearly 30 years."

"If I’m not mistaken, that was Mr. Cao Xuan’s fourth appearance on the cover of Oil Painting. This number set a new record, Dali and Andy Warhol have only appeared three times each."