When art becomes a new form of enlightened saving
At a time when traditional financial investments are reaching their limits, art is establishing itself as an elegant and enduring refuge.
While the Livret A savings account caps at modest returns and financial markets remain volatile, more and more savers are looking for concrete alternatives that bring value and pleasure.
Among these new horizons, Japanese and Korean art is seductive for its refinement, stability and cultural depth.
Investing in art means investing in the long term: in gesture, transmission and meaning.
And, through Kogeiya's expertise, it also means creating a living heritage, made up of works that combine beauty, materiality and lasting value.
1. Why invest in art?
Art as a tangible, lasting asset
Unlike financial products, art doesn't disappear: it can be preserved, passed on and appreciated.
A well-chosen work of art, from a recognized movement or artist, can increase in value over time while providing immediate aesthetic satisfaction.
It's this dual return - emotional and patrimonial- that appeals to new collectors today.
The global art market is worth almost $60 billion a year, and Asian works are playing an increasingly important role.
The growth of auction houses in Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong, and the interest shown by European museums in contemporary Japanese ceramists and Korean Dansaekhwa artists, bear witness to the strength and international recognition of these scenes.
Intelligent asset diversification
Investing in art also means diversifying your savings.
Far from competing with a PEA or life insurance policy, buying works of art completes an investment portfolio.
In times of economic uncertainty, real assets such as art offer reassuring stability.
Certain works, rare and sought-after, can even serve as a safe haven, in the same way as gold or real estate.
2. Japanese and Korean art: between tradition, modernity and aesthetic coherence
Japan: a spiritual relationship with matter
Japan offers a singular terrain for investment, based on arts and crafts.
This term encompasses ceramics, lacquer, textiles, metal or wood, where each creation is the fruit of know-how handed down for centuries.
These works, halfway between crafts and contemporary art, embody a philosophy of gesture and imperfect beauty, that of wabi-sabi.
Contemporary ceramists such as Shiro Tsujimura, Kyohei Fujita and Shozo Michikawa are among the most widely collected Japanese artists in the world today.
Their work, often exhibited in Japan, Europe and the United States, represents a balance between heritage and modernity, a major asset for collectors looking for works with strong cultural and heritage potential.
Korea: minimalism as a universal language
Korean art, for its part, is seductive in its sobriety and symbolic power.
The artists of the Dansaekhwa movement, which emerged in the 1970s, such as Lee Ufan, Park Seo-Bo and Chung Sang-Hwa, gave birth to a meditative minimalism that is now widely recognized on the international scene.
This trend, valued by major Western galleries and collectors, is part of a long-term logic, in which the value of works continues to grow.
At the same time, the new Korean generation - artists such as Haegue Yang and Yeesookyung - is renewing the codes of contemporary art, while remaining rooted in an aesthetic inherited from traditional gestures.
Investing in Korean art today means betting on a dynamic, solid and internationalized scene.
3. Pleasure investing: meaning above all
The pleasure of collecting
Buying a Japanese or Korean piece means integrating a fragment of Asia into your daily life.
Each piece tells a story: that of a craftsman, a school, a ritual or a silent emotion.
It's an investment of the heart as much as of the wallet.
Unlike an abstract savings account, a work of art lives with you: it inhabits a place, transforms an interior, sparks conversations.
It becomes a marker of identity and taste, but also a legacy to be passed on.
Meaning as a new refuge
In a world saturated with digital assets, many people are looking for objects that carry meaning.
Japanese and Korean art responds to this need for connection, slowness and authenticity.
These are works that recall the value of gesture, the patience of creation and the importance of a relationship with time.
Investing in art is also investing in meaning: in a philosophy of life where beauty and sustainability come together.
4. How to invest? Kogeiya tips
Surround yourself with an expert
As with any investment, expertise is essential.
At Kogeiya, we support individuals and collectors in the selection, documentation and valorization of their acquisitions.
Each work is chosen for its aesthetic quality, authenticity and consistency with international market trends.
Prioritize quality over quantity
It's better to invest in one exceptional piece than in several objects of lesser value.
Signed works, accompanied by a certificate or clear provenance, provide a foundation of trust.
What's more, certain categories - contemporary Japanese ceramics, Korean lacquerware, forged metal objects - now offer strong growth potential on the international market.
Think long-term
Investing in art is measured in years, not months.
It's an investment in heritage: it's passed on, it's lived.
An artist's popularity can rise slowly, but steadily.
The most important thing is to choose wisely, for the sake of pleasure and consistency.
5. Art as heritage: a new way of passing on
Another way to make your heritage bear fruit
Art doesn't just bring a financial return: it enriches life.
Giving a work of art to your children, exhibiting a ceramic piece in your living room, conserving an antique vase or a contemporary sculpture, means keeping alive an intangible heritage, imbued with culture and memory.
Japanese and Korean art are part of this economy of meaning and sustainability, where every acquisition becomes an act of transmission and culture.
An aesthetic, solid and human investment
Investing in Japanese and Korean art means moving away from purely financial considerations and reconnecting with beauty, materials and gestures.
It's a stable, tangible and meaningful investment that perfectly complements traditional savings.
Through Kogeiya, we help collectors and art lovers build a collection in their own image, combining emotion, discernment and strategy.
Because art is not a product, but a life companion - and without doubt the finest of investments.
