Shanghai Art Fair welcomes 148 galleries worldwide

The city is hosting the 18th Shanghai Art Fair, an event that celebrates creativity across Asia, while also creating bridges between global art galleries. This year's event is set to kick off on Friday at ShanghaiMART which will host collectors from across the country and the world.

The Shanghai Art Fair, established in 1997, not only connects Shanghai with the global art scene, but also helps shape trends and set the standard for domestic art fairs and exhibits.

This year's event will see 148 galleries from over 20 countries participate.

The five day event will showcase various art works, cultural items, handicrafts and other works from the Architecture and Design industry.

Many original artworks from greats such as Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong and Zhang Daqian will also be exhibited during the expo.

Expectations are high that the Shanghai Art Fair will continue to be a leader in the Asian art world as it continues to get support from art lovers and collectors across the continent.