Jay Chou to curate Sotheby's event in Hong Kong

Taipei, May 24 (CNA) Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou (周杰倫) will curate Sotheby's first "Contemporary Curated: Asia" auctions to be held in Hong Kong in June, the international auction company announced Monday.

The auction series titled "Jay Chou x Sotheby's" will feature "exceptional works by blue-chip artists and rising stars handpicked by Jay to be offered in a highly anticipated evening sale on June 18" and an online day sale, the company said in a statement.

Sotheby's described Chou as an avid art collector who is well known for incorporating elements of fine art, poetry, and classical styles into his work.

The 42-year-old Taiwanese, who has sold over 30 million records and is known as the "King of Mandopop," has established a growing reputation as an art collector in recent years, according to the statement.

"I have always believed in the power of art -- a medium of expression that sees no boundary or limitation. It isn't something you need to try to get close to -- by nature, it envelops our life each and every day," Chou said.

Florence Ho (何詩慧), who is specialist/cataloguer at Sotheby's Contemporary Art Department, praised Chou for his vision in music and art, believing that this groundbreaking auction will definitely show the world the power of Asian art to the world.

According to the company, the "Jay Chou x Sotheby's" auction event will also have an online day sale component from June 10-22.

The evening sale will be led by Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Untitled" from 1985, an iconic work that was featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine that year.

Chou, meanwhile, has also selected three sets of concert costumes worn during his "The Invincible" world tour from 2016 to 2018, where they will be sold to benefit charity, the statement said.