The Faurschou gallery in Beijing is playing host to a set of Andy Warhol pop art works entitled ‘Athletes’ this summer to coincide with the Olympic games, held in the same city. The work is a series of silkscreen and acrylic paintings depicting ten of the best known and most iconic sportsmen and women of the twentieth century.

The series consists of portraits of such epic sportsmen as Muhammad Ali and American Footballer turned actor, turned celebrity trialist, O.J. Simpson. The paintings, valued at $28 million for the set, were commissioned by Richard Weisman, whose uncle was the founder of the Californian Museum, Norton Simon.

The paintings were offered for sale last year for $28 million to a private collector, Martin Summers, but the paintings were not sold.

The show, at the Faurschou gallery, consists of several Warhol works rather than just the Athletes series, including his portrait of Michael Jackson. Warhol’s painting ‘Green Car Crash’ sold last year for more than $71 million, and is believed to have gone to a Chinese collector, though no China based art collectors have publically stated an interest in Warhol.

Jennifer Vorbach has helped to organise the Warhol show in China:

We know there are Warhol collectors in mainland China.

Also the availability of the Athletes series for sale is unknown, but it could be up for sale at the right price:

If the right opportunity comes along, we will put any interested parties in touch with Richard Weisman.