Sad indeed. I received word today that fellow reporter Jonathan Napack died in a Hong Kong hospital on Jan. 20th. Genial and wry, Jonathan was a talented writer on many subjects, penning articles for everything from the New Yorker to the old Far Eastern Economic Review (where I was an editor and often commissioned stories from him). He specialized in reporting on the art world, and was one of the first to write about the coming boom in contemporary Chinese art. forecasting the current craze more than two years ago. Of late had become involved in the business side as Asia rep for the Basel Art Fair. Though he enjoyed the personalities and glamor that enliven the art world, Jonathan was particularly good at puncturing the hype and manipulation that are also an integral part of the scene. He will be sorely missed.
Here is a shot of Jonathan at Art Basel Miami Beach, courtesy of his friend Ou Ning’s blog.
