Ravenel Hong Kong 2015 Autumn Auction
Modern and Contemporary Art
Preview: November 27, 28 | Auction: November 29
Ravenel Hong Kong will be holding its autumn auction, the most spectacular event of the season, on November 29 of this year. Within the rapidly expanding art auction market in Hong Kong, Ravenel remains committed to introducing collectors to premier choices in modern and contemporary art, which is why this auction will comprise works from both the Chinese masters and major contemporary Asian artists of the 20th century, modern ink and wash as well as Western artistic styles. An exclusive collection of close to a hundred pieces has been selected for your pleasure and anticipation.
In this year’s autumn auction, notable auction items include works by the masters of Chinese abstract art Zao Wou-Ki and Chu Teh-Chun. “7.12.69,” produced by Zao in 1969, features brushstrokes of incredible freedom and serenity within spatial dimensions of immense profundity and vitality, an image of resplendent gold and shimmering coppers that fully exemplify iconic Zao aesthetics. “Juin 2005,” painted by Zao in 2005, illustrates the movement of vapors that meander through space and across his canvas; this perfect balance between the tangible and the formless is both imaginative and exquisitely poetic. Chu Teh-Chun’s “Langage d'ailleurs” from 1990 demonstrates his ability to create clear, brilliant visual space with poise and assurance; the image, divided straight across into two separate components, embody the perfect harmony between light and dark and of the dynamic within the static. Another of Chu’s creations, “Hiver III” from 1985, elucidates the artist’s resolute but romantic personality in its use of simple, unadulterated colors and freehand brushstrokes that emanate a sense of pure, carefree enjoyment.
Walasse Ting’s alluring “Reclining Nude with Flowers and Cat” from the 1980s embodies all of his favorite themes in its celebration of the glory of life and the lusciousness of the senses; meanwhile, the deliciously vibrant reds, greens, yellows, blues, and purples seemingly splashed haphazardly on the canvas in the 1969 “Sweet Milky Way” exhibit clear color gradations of both magnificent beauty and intrinsic logic, emitting a sense of exotic charm within the surging waves of color and movement.
Chinese Contemporary artist Wu Guanzhong’s 1980 creation “Landscape” was purchased by its former collector from the Dimension Art Center more than two decades ago and has been hidden from public view for a long time. In this piece, Wu Guanzhong utilizes innovative compositions and delicate ink and wash techniques to portray one of Suzhou’s most renowned parks—The Lion’s Forest. This series exhibits a harmonious structuralization of point, line, and plane that fully represents his aesthetic project of portraying the serenity and poetic imagery of classic Chinese sceneries. Xu Bing’s 2001 production “Reading Landscape Series” employs countless ancient Chinese hieroglyphs in the formulation of a landscape depiction; a close reading of the characters within the painting reveals profound cultural meaning, an extraordinary concept and technique that imbue traditional painting with new sensibilities. Fang Lijun’s “2001.7.31,” Yan Pei Ming’s “Portrait,” Zhang Yu’s “Fingerprints” and Zhan Wang’s stainless steel sculpture titled “Artificial Rock No. 61,” Xiong Yu’s “Falling Leaves,” and Huang Gang’s “Sun from the East” are all exciting creations each in their own individual styles.
In the category of modern ink painting, Liu Kuo-Sung’s elegantly romantic “Lunar Halo” from 1970 and abstract landscape “Between Clouds and Trees” from 1968 are two exemplary early works with fully recorded exhibition histories and biographies. Other works include Yu Cheng-yao’s 1986 creation “Mountain Peaks in the Clouds,” and select pieces by Shiy De-jinn and T’ang Haywen. Taiwanese artist Yeh Tzu-chi, who completed “Rear Window, Summer Afternoon” between 1989-90, minimalist Richard Lin, who painted “Untitled” in 1959, Chiu Ya-tsai, whose “Woman of Curled Hair” was completed in 1988, and Ju Ming, who created the striking wood sculpture “Single Whip” in 1991 are some of the other artists featured in this impeccable collection of rarity and value.
Western artworks include German painter Anselm Kiefer’s “Ave Maria, Mater Castissima” from 2007. Kiefer is an artist whose works are deeply rooted in nature and history. The passing of time and the accumulation of experience contribute to making each of his paintings an incredibly profound and complex story that calls for thought and contemplation. Maurice de Vlaminck, one of the founding members of the Fauvists, is also represented in this category; his “Rochers à Carolles” fully demonstrates the spontaneity and inhibition of freehand brushstrokes and a breathtaking juxtaposition between light and dark, whereas its use of sedated colors gives the image a sense of consonance and harmony. Dutch École de Cobra painter Corneille’s 1989 creation “Untitled” employs vibrant colors and a child-like persona in his expression of the liberty and passion. Victor Vasarely is known as a great master of the OP art movement, and is also a thinker and pioneer of visual arts; the title of his 1988 creation “Tenger” is derived from the expansive waters in Vasarely’s native Hungary, while the image itself is a whirlpool of black, white, and gray upon a backdrop of deep azure that creates an optical illusion of dynamic movement.
Ravenel 2015 Hong Kong Autumn Auction preview tour is scheduled to take place in Taichung on November 14-15, followed by Taipei on November 21-22, and Hong Kong on November 27-28, with the official auction to be inaugurated on November 29 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. All interested visitors and collectors are cordially invited to participate in this event.