They are two of the biggest names in the art world: Zeng Fanzhi and Larry Gagosian. Hailed by the New York Times as “China’s hottest artist,” 52-year-old Zeng holds the record for the most expensive Asian contemporary work sold at auction ( The Last Supper drew US$23.3 million when it went under the hammer at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October 2013). The straight-talking Gagosian is widely considered the world’s most powerful art dealer, with 16 commercial galleries across the US, Europe, the UK and Asia. Zeng is the only living Chinese artist represented by Gagosian, whose stable of contemporary artists includes Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Anselm Kiefer. He has also exhibited the work of legendary figures such as Francis Bacon, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol. When Gagosian set up a Hong Kong gallery in 2011, one of the first exhibitions was a solo show of Zeng’s work. Since then the two have fostered a lucrative relationship. The famously prolific artist has been described as a master of reinvention, the gallerist relentless in his pursuit of a deal. The son of printing factory workers from Wuhan, Zeng dropped out of school at 16 to join his parents at work. Drawing provided a release from the daily drudgery, and a few years later he applied to study at art school. He failed the entrance exams five times but was finally accepted in 1987 into the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, where he developed a particular appreciation for German expressionism. After a stint at an advertising agency, he moved to Beijing in 1993 and committed himself to art full-time. His 30-year career has been marked by diversity, from figurative realism to abstract landscapes. His most famous series is Mask, which expresses the alienation he felt upon moving to Beijing and witnessing the rapid changes taking place in the newly rich society, and the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art in Beijing recently staged a major retrospective of his work. While Zeng was in school, Gagosian, a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, was working as the manager of a car park in LA. He noticed a man selling posters nearby and, with his keen eye for business, realised that he himself could sell posters at higher prices if he sold them in frames. Soon he had his own poster shop and then began exhibiting the work of photographers, building a network of collectors and influential friends. It wasn’t long before he moved into the world of fine art and his empire grew from there. Asia continues to be a crucial market for Gagosian. This year he will greatly enlarge his Hong Kong gallery, taking another floor in the Pedder Building. He also intends to take on other Asian contemporary artists.

Larry, why did you choose to take on Zeng Fanzhi as the gallery’s first Chinese contemporary artist? Friends of mine, collectors I respect and museums were collecting his work and, since we were opening a gallery in Asia, I felt it was important that we represent a great Chinese artist. Looking at his work primarily through catalogues and online reproductions, I was impressed with his ability. He is a very talented painter and I found his talent very accessible. There is other work that is more embedded in Asian culture—and maybe in time I will appreciate that more—but coming from my tradition, I found his technical ability and his development stylistically, extremely impressive. It was also clear he had already developed a good market and that there were strong prices at auction. And my good friend François Pinault [a veteran art collector and major shareholder in retail conglomerate Kering] had been a great supporter of Fanzhi’s art for many years. I respect his judgment and I felt this was the right artist for our gallery.

And Fanzhi, why did you choose to collaborate with Gagosian Gallery? Gagosian is a good display brand. For me, their space is very good for setting up my large-scale works. I design every exhibit myself, and I always mock up the room to scale to see the relationship between the size of the wall and my work. Many elements are carefully selected and specially tailormade. This gallery is always able to meet my high standards and many requirements. Gagosian has given me a platform to experiment, and to grow and develop as an artist. Every time I set up an exhibition, I will study and explore the different levels of education, backgrounds and mentality of the viewers to see what their reactions are. I think it makes sense for an exhibition to have this mutual exchange. I cannot just draw at home not caring about anything. Artists usually have a good strong self, a personal ideal, but in doing an exhibition you still want to create an interesting exchange with everyone.

And how would you characterise your relationship with Larry Gagosian? We have a lot of respect for each other. In collaborating with Larry I meet many different, very interesting people. He has