Art Basel HK's mega-draw

HELINA Chan can barely contain her excitement. "We've sold six artworks and there are 10 that have been put on reserve by interested buyers," she exclaims with bated breath. Considering the iPreciation gallerist brought less than 30 works by Singapore artist Lee Wen to Art Basel Hong Kong, that's more than half of her stock sold or on reserve. And it is only the second day of the fair - there are three more days to go before the fair closes. "I want to sell everything by the end of it," she says determinedly. "It's not even for me - it's for Lee Wen."

Lee, 57, is one of Singapore's most important contemporary artists. He started practising performance art at a time when the Singapore government denied funding for any performance artist, following Josef Ng's controversial act of snipping his pubic hair in a 1993 performance. For more than 20 years, Lee struggled to gain recognition, selling very few works and living in abject conditions.

Lee's booth at Art Basel Hong Kong marks the first time that his works are being shown in a commercial solo exhibition. The brisk sale of the works validates Ms Chan's belief that "it always takes the establishment 20 years to understand contemporary art and artists. These works should have been recognised 20 years ago - not just now."