BEIJING—In the wake of the May 12 earthquake that has devastated China and slowed down art auctions in the country, China Guardian Auctions organized Together We Pull Through, a Chinese contemporary art disaster relief charity auction, held May 27 at Beijing's Kerry Center Hotel. Nearly 200 artists donated 194 works for the event, which brought in over RMB 51 million ($7.3 million).

Among the standout works was Blood May 2008, an epic painting created by 29 Chinese realist artists — inlcuding Ai Xuan, Yang Feiyun, and Wang Yidong — who came together for 10 days following the earthquake to make the piece. Measuring roughly 65 feet wide by 6.5 feet high, the mural went through 43 rounds of bidding, finally selling for RMB 33.5 million to anonymous buyer.

Super-hot Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang also contributed to the auction, sending over from New York his work Crocodile from Heaven, which sold for RMB 5.8 million. All of the auction's proceeds will be donated to earthquake disaster areas via the China Charity Federation.