KUALA LUMPUR: The Edge Auction 2015, held at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur yesterday, attracted over 200 avid art collectors and art enthusiasts, with some arriving as early as two hours before the auction was slated to begin at 1pm.

By the time bidding started, the hotel’s ballroom was packed to the brim, with many standing at the back waiting for extra chairs to be added.

The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd managing director Au Foong Yee said the event saw a much better turnout than expected.

“This is The Edge’s third art auction and this year we had the most number of artworks going under the hammer,” she said.

“The interest generated is in line with the aspiration behind our art initiative, which is to promote art appreciation as well as to support artists, especially Malaysians,” she added.

Among those in attendance were CIMB Group Holdings Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak as well as former Bar Council president Ragunath Kesavan.

Nazir said the auction showcased a good variety of paintings, which were not only limited to those by local artists.

“It’s a good way of obtaining paintings for value. You can get good value for artworks by international artists,” he told The Edge Financial Daily.

Ragunath said he was elated to see many Malaysians who have a penchant for art.

“It’s good for the local artists,” he added.

Ragunath also praised this year’s collection on its variety and quality of artworks.

The Edge Auction, held annually, displayed 136 paintings from 88 local and Southeast Asian artists.

Among the local artists showcased were Datuk Tay Mo Leong, Datuk Ibrahim Hussein, Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Lee Cheng Yong, Khalil Ibrahim, Yusof Ghani and Alex Leong. The Southeast Asian artists in the limelight included Lee Man Fong, Affandi as well as Chen Wen Hsi.

More than RM1.5 million in sales were garnered at the auction, which was also supported by The Edge Galerie’s partner IJM Land Bhd.

Apart from The Edge Auction, The Edge Galerie also holds private collection shows throughout the year. For more information, visit www.theedgegalerie.com.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 23, 2015.