Man in the mirror

Olivier Picasso, a grandson of the late master, brings an insightful photo show to China. Deng Zhangyu reports.

Spanish master Pablo Picasso will never know how much he is celebrated in China. He is not known to have visited the country even once during his long and prosperous life.

But Olivier Picasso, one of his grandchildren, has already made amends - he came to Beijing last week, bringing along an exhibition of photos that show Pablo Picasso's intimate time at his studio in France, as well as the working styles of some other great 20th-century artists.

Revealed, the ongoing show, opened on Sept 1.

Olivier Picasso is the son of Pablo Picasso's daughter, whom he had with Marie-Therese Walter, a mistress and model for his artwork, including his 1932 painting The Dream.

As the curator of the current show, Olivier Picasso chose 30 pictures from the Parisan magazine Paris Match. In one of them, Pablo Picasso is seen playing with a spotted dog at his studio in Cannes, where his second wife, Jacqueline Rogue, is also present.

Others photos reveal how fellow Spanish artist Salvador Dali and Dutch painter Kees van Dongen worked in their respective homes, opening themselves to public review.

"My grandfather spent most of his time at his studio. An artist's studio is a reflection of his soul," says Oliver Picasso, 54.

The show, presented by Sofitel luxury hotels, began its world tour last year with the United States, then Europe, and has now come to Asia.

According to Michael Issenberg, chairman of AccorHotels Asia Pacific, the exhibition will go to Thailand, Australia and New Zealand later this year.

Oliver Picasso did some sightseeing around Beijing like many other tourists do. He went to the Great Wall and old alleyway (hutong) houses, and bought two works by a Chinese painter from the city's 798 art zone.

Although born with the famous family name, Olivier Picasso hasn't turned to art himself.

He started his career as a lawyer and then moved on to become a documentary filmmaker. Last year, he produced a documentary Picasso the Legacy. In 2004, he wrote a book, titled Picasso: the Real Family Story, which was translated into various languages. The Chinese version is expected to be published soon.

"My mother wanted us to live an ordinary life. She doesn't want us to think that everything was given (due to the family name)," says Oliver Picasso, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Pablo Picasso with a distinct nose and deep brown eyes.

When the famous artist died in 1973, Oliver Picasso realized the significance of being a member of the Picasso family. Until then, it was just "grandpa who was an artist".

"In such a family, the influence is everywhere. My grandfather is also everywhere - in exhibitions, on TV, in movies, in books and in ... auction houses.

"I know the name is a privilege."

Oliver Picasso, his sister and art historian Diana, and their mother, who devoted her life into authenticating Picasso's works, are together planning to set up a foundation to support artistic education. Another member of the Picasso family has founded an organization dedicated to children's medical support.

In March, the "O" version of Picasso's Woman of Algiers was sold at a Christie's auction in New York for a record $179 million.

Olivier Picasso says his mother told him that Pablo Picasso had shown her every version of that painting in 1955. This came in handy while testifying for its authenticity. Also, he learned from his sister that on auction night, there were Chinese bidders as well.

He and his sister are deeply impressed by Chinese collectors' passion for the works, Oliver Picasso says.

"My sister sees them in Hong Kong, London, Paris and New York. Just three years ago, they were crazy about Picasso, (their attitude is) like sell me, sell me. Now, they are specialists. They know what they want," says Oliver Picasso.

Many of China's richest people have been buying Pablo Picasso's art in the recent years. Wang Jianlin of the real estate empire Wanda Group and Chinese movie mogul Wang Zhongjun are among two prominent names to have spent tens of millions of dollars on them.

Olivier Picasso says he was surprised that in such a short time Chinese collectors have transformed from being just rich buyers to an informed clientele that know why they want the art.

Staying in Beijing for several days, Picasso was impressed by how things changed, different from what he had seen in photos of the 1960s.