Yü-Ge Wang, the auctioneer on a bid to bring art collecting to a new generation

Auctioneer Yü-Ge Wang has always known her worth. “I sold my first work to my father when I was three years old,” she says, as she welcomes Monocle into the London headquarters of Christie’s. Wang has worked for the global auction house since 2015 and is now an associate director and senior client adviser, specialising in the Asian market.

Born in Beijing and raised in Bavaria, Wang came to the UK to study, though she was already intent on finding work in the commercial art sector. After starting at Christie’s, she joined the auction programme and, five years later, stepped up to the rostrum. “I loved the combination of numbers, intuition and a bit of drama,” she says. Wang tells Monocle that she draws on her years of ballet training when choreographing auctions. “Both require discipline and the ability to make things look effortless and flawless,” she says. “It has helped me to maintain an entertaining rhythm while making split-second decisions.”

In recent decades, the emergence of new technologies has expanded the auctioneer’s role. “Nowadays, we’re bringing the world into the auction room,” says Wang. “I want to make everyone feel seen, whether they’re joining us in person or on the phone, or streaming online. Something as subtle as a look or a word of welcome in another language can lift the energy and encourage a potential buyer to raise a bid.”

Extensive preparation is crucial to a successful auction. Wang makes a point of familiarising herself with the arrangement of the room where one is scheduled to take place, identifying blind spots and memorising the numbers in the sale book. Like anyone who is keen to put on a good show, she pays close attention to the smallest details – and that includes the clothes that she wears. “In Asia, many auctioneers match the colours of their outfit to those of the session’s biggest lot,” she says. “It’s something that I keep in mind when the occasion is right.”

A dazzling example of this was the silver jacquard blazer by Chinese designer Huishan Zhang that Wang wore during an auction in London in December 2025, at which she brought the hammer down on The Winter Egg by Fabergé at €26.4m.

Big lots such as that one continue to maintain the house’s reputation but Wang says that she has noticed a shift in buying trends. “We used to rely on Picassos and pieces on that level but I have seen collectors becoming more interested in supporting local talent,” she says. “Huge prizes are being won by South and East Asian artists.” Curation also has a prominent role. “With the new generation of collectors, the mindset is less about trophy hunting and more about selecting pieces that feel authentic to them.”