London, Nov 27 (ANI): With an unidentified Asian art investor paying a whopping 9.5 million dollars for a set of 14 abstract paintings made using gunpowder, the Asian art market surely looks that it has come of age.

The paintings made by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang have become the most expensive works of contemporary Asian art to be sold at auction.

The paintings were auctioned at Christies.

Jonathan Stone, the international business director for Asian art at the auction house, said that the first day of the five-day autumn sales had achieved remarkable prices.

Christies took in 107 million dollars on the day, more than four times its estimate, with buyers from India, China, Europe and the United States.

Stone said that Guo-Qiang was very highly respected.

Hes very highly respected. It was a great work rare, in good condition. There is a huge amount of worldwide interest in works of this strength, Times Online quoted him, as saying.

Contemporary Chinese art is a window into the changes in China in the past couple of decades, showing the country through the prism of the artists eye, he said. (ANI)