Budi Tek, one of Asia’s greatest art collectors, has died aged 65

The statement, posted to social media in English and Chinese on Sunday, said Tek passed away “surrounded by his beloved family” after spending his life “cultivating talent” and engaging the public through his “extensive and historical collection”.

Born Budiardjo Tek in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1957, the entrepreneur began collecting in his 40s after “discovering the ability of art to take him to new, unknown worlds”, according to his museum‘s website. . Using the wealth of a successful career in the poultry trade, he initially focused on contemporary Chinese art of the 1980s and 1990s – a period which had seen the Chinese avant-garde movement flourish after the death of leader Mao Zedong, before he was forced to grapple with increasing restrictions following the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Tek founded the now-closed Yuz Museum in Jakarta in 2006 before establishing the non-profit Yuz Foundation to manage its growing collection, which is believed to have well exceeded 1,500 contemporary Chinese works. But it was the opening of its museum outpost in Shanghai in 2014 that made Tek a major figure in the industry.

Measuring 9,000 square meters (97,000 square feet), the museum was able to accommodate Tek’s predilection for large-scale installation art. A tiger skin made from more than 600,000 cigarettes – part of Chinese artist Xu Bing’s ‘Project Tobacco’ – was one of many works of art to find their way from his collection to the floor of the Museum.

Tek is also committed to developing an international understanding and appreciation of Asian art, which still relies heavily on private philanthropy. He helped the British gallery group Tate acquire works from the area and established a partnership between the Yuz Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) that saw the two institutions share artwork and co -organize exhibitions (including the most recent, a major survey of the work of Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, opened in Shanghai a few weeks before Tek’s death).