The Chinese Art Prize (CAP) is the most prestigious and important Chinese contemporary art award to focus on emerging Chinese contemporary painters. The aim of the Chinese Art Prize is to encourage and promote young talented Chinese contemporary artists and to give them the recognition and exposure that the best young artists deserve. The Chinese Art Prize was created and is operated by Art Scene China.

Members of the Chinese Art Prize jury are distinguished art insiders. Past jury members have included: Gerard Goodrow, Director, Business Development, Phillips de Pury & Company, Germany (former Director of Art Cologne, one of the most important annual art expositions in the world); Dr Marion Ackerman, Director of Art Museum of Stuttgart, Germany; Isabelle de Wavrin, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Beaux Arts, the top French art publication; Jeff Kelley, Curator of the Asian Art Museum in California, USA; and well-known Chinese contemporary artist Zhong Biao.

With such an experienced and well-qualified jury, the Chinese contemporary artists selected by this panel are truly among the top young emerging artists in China. The jurists select the artwork based on their years of experience with art internationally and judge the work purely on the merits of the work itself. No “guanxi” (or connections) is required for the Chinese Art Prize. Also, artists are not required to pay any entrance fees or hidden fees to participate. The CAP is fair and open to all young Chinese painters.

Art Scene China is one of the most famous and earliest established Chinese contemporary art galleries, with over 10 years experience. Art Scene China has galleries in Shanghai and Beijing and regularly participates in art expositions internationally, such as Art Cologne, Art Miami and Art Chicago. Art Scene China also cooperates with galleries and museums worldwide. The Gallery has more than 4 years' experience organizing the Chinese Art Prize. Art Scene China created and organized the Dragonair Emerging Chinese Artist Awards (DECAA), from 2005 - 2006 (Dragonair was taken over by another airline in 2006).

“There are so many talented Chinese contemporary artists nowadays”, said Sami Wafa, Director of Art Scene China, “yet only a few of them have had widespread national and international recognition. The Chinese Art Prize will give talented emerging Chinese contemporary artists important recognition and will allow their artworks to be seen throughout China and the world.”

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, made its first flight on 5 November 2003.  Since then it has added 48 destinations, to become the fastest-growing national airline in the history of commercial aviation.

It offers its award-winning services to destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, from its base in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi, the home of Etihad Airways, is the largest Emirate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and also the nation’s capital city. Ideally located as an effective air bridge between east and West, Abu Dhabi is fast becoming a dynamic business destination, combining its strong Arabic heritage and culture with exciting development plans.

Chinese contemporary art has received much attention internationally lately through the media and exhibitions. However, there is currently only a limited pool of Chinese contemporary artists that is getting virtually all of this international exposure, whereas there are officially over 1 million artists in China today. The Chinese Art Prize (CAP) has proven and continues to show that there are many more Chinese contemporary artists, apart from the small group of famous ones, who are extremely talented and who deserve recognition.

Members of Jury - Chinese Art Prize 2008:
Daniela Bousso, curator, art critic and director at Paço das Artes, the largest public museum of contemporary art in San Paulo, Brazil
Ami Barak, Curator of “Art for the World (The Expo)” - World Expo Shanghai 2010 & Curator of Art Forum Berlin 2007
Gerard Goodrow, Director, Business Development, Phillips de Pury & Company, Germany
Linel Rebenchuk, Director, Toronto International Art Fair (TIAF)
Zhong Biao, contemporary Chinese artist
Du Xinjian, contemporary Chinese artist
Alexandra Seno, Writer
Sami Wafa, Director of Art Scene China, Shanghai & Beijing

*

The Gold and Silver prizes will be selected by the jury in Shanghai in December 2008. The Viewer's Choice Award winner will be selected by the guests invited to the gala event for the finalists' exhibition in December.

1st Prize:	Gold Award, cash prize 66,000RMB
2nd Prize:	Silver Award, cash prize 18,000RMB
People's Choice:	Viewer's Choice Award, cash prize 10,000RMB

* Cash prizes are before tax

The concept for the Chinese Art Prize was created by Art Scene China in 2003. The art prize itself was created in 2005 and was operated by Art Scene China, with the aim of encouraging and promoting emerging Chinese contemporary painters. The Chinese Art Prize was originally sponsored by Hong Kong's Dragonair and was called the Dragonair Emerging Chinese Artists Award (DECAA). Recently, Dragonair was purchased by another Hong Kong airline.