Matthew Wong, The Painter, 2016
Estimate HK$ 3,000,000 - 5,000,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
Since its humble beginnings in the 17th century, “landscapes” have gracefully evolved into one of the most cherished and sought-after art genres. In anticipation of the upcoming 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale in Hong Kong, Phillips proudly presents an exquisite selection of visual narratives that bridge the gap between reality and imagination.
From the ethereal, atmospheric compositions of the late Matthew Wong to the sublime, transcendental visions of Jia Aili, this collection features a range of landscape interpretations that both pay homage to the traditional genre and challenge its boundaries.
Traditional Landscape
Matthew Wong, The Painter, 2016
Estimate HK$ 3,000,000 - 5,000,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
Adorned with Wong’s signature impasto technique, the dreamlike landscape in The Painter features a fiery red sky reminiscent of a setting sun bursting through the terrain. A dappled yellow and green road flows like honey or molten lava towards the titular painter, who diligently works on a delicate composition. In Matthew Wong’s works, the solitary figure in the composition is always seen as a self-portrait, reflecting Wong’s own struggles with depression, autism, and Tourette syndrome, and offers a glimpse into his consciousness before his untimely passing in October 2019.
Born in Toronto in 1984, the self-taught artist began experimenting with art in his late 20s, immersing himself in the study of master painters and art history. Frequently traversing between Hong Kong and Canada, he blended Eastern and Western influences to form a unique aesthetic. As Roberta Smith of The New York Times noted, Wong was “one of the most talented painters of his generation.”
Scott Kahn, The Kipling Garden, 1991
Estimate HK$ 1,000,000 - 1,500,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
The Kipling Garden, a vivid portrayal of a lush and inviting outdoor space, draws inspiration from Rudyard Kipling’s poignant poem The Glory of the Garden — “But the Glory of the Garden lies in more than meets the eye.” Just as Kipling’s verse highlights the tireless efforts of gardeners, who tend to their work with dedication and reverence, Kahn’s painting invites viewers to appreciate the unseen labour and devotion that contribute to the garden’s splendour.
Scott Kahn has been recognised for his ability to capture the essence of the world around him, transforming ordinary scenes into extraordinary visual narratives. His masterful use of colour and composition brings the serene beauty of the garden to life.
Scott Kahn, Duke's Mound, 1998
Estimate HK$ 400,000 - 600,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
Inspired by the beauty of nature and the potency of memory, Kahn’s works evoke a sense of timelessness and emotional resonance. In Duke’s Mound, the rhythmic interplay of undulating seas, intricate branches, and carefully crafted structures create a rhythmic and harmonious visual experience, inviting the viewer to explore the intricacies of the scene. The artist masterfully balances abstraction and representation, allowing the viewer to not only recognise the landscape but also engage with it through their own emotional perspective.
David Hockney, The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven) - 19 April, 2011
Estimate HK$ 700,000 - 900,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
David Hockney’s The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire is part of a series of 61 iPad drawings created in 2011, capturing the transition from winter to spring in the landscape near his late mother's home in Bridlington. It perfectly showcases Hockney's technical mastery with vibrant hues of green, brown, and daffodil-yellow.
Hockney, a prominent and innovative artist, has experimented with various mediums throughout his career, embracing digital art in 2007 and incorporating the iPad into his practice in 2010. The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire was one of Hockney’s earliest forays into iPad drawing, and this sale marks the first time this iPad drawing has been offered at auction.
The repetitive nature of his observations recalls Claude Monet’s meditations on light and atmosphere, while the layers of shading and dots are reminiscent of Georges Seurat’s pointillism. The work also shares an emotive expressivity with Vincent van Gogh’s spring canvases, as both artists were inspired by their love of nature.
Abstract Landscape
Gerhard Richter, Grün-Blau-Rot, 1993
Estimate HK$ 2,500,000 - 3,500,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
Gerhard Richter’s 1993 painting, Grün-Blau-Rot, is an exceptional example of the artist's exploration of the abstract, showcasing his technical skills and diverse range. As one of the most eclectic contemporary artists, Richter has delved into the possibilities of both abstract and figurative visual representations. He believes that the dichotomy between figuration and abstraction is fictional, as both approaches require precision in colour and composition.
Grün-Blau-Rot is part of a prolific series of 105 works that center around the chromatic and visual variations achieved by mixing three colours — green, blue, and red — using a squeegee. The piece features voluptuous and hazy lines where the colours smoothly blend into one another, expanding across the canvas due to the gentle pressure applied by the blade. This painting can be compared to Henri Matisse’s 1910 work, Music, which similarly focuses on the same three primary tones.
Etel Adnan, Untitled, 2018
Estimate HK$ 800,000 - 1,200,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
“When the colour comes out of the tube I don’t want to mix it, because there’s such an immediate beauty about the joy of colour.” — Etel Adnan
The first thing that strikes the viewer when looking at Untitled is its bright, powerful colours. Adnan selected colours intuitively, applying them directly out of the tube onto canvases and forming shapes using a palette knife instead of a brush. The rich hues in this composition are reminiscent of earth tones, reflecting Adnan’s intense connection to nature and her inspiration from actual landscapes, particularly Mount Tamalpais in California.
Painted in 2018 — three years before the artist’s passing in 2021 — Untitled is a prime example of Etel Adnan’s work in contemporary Arab-American culture. Born in Lebanon in 1925, Adnan was renowned for her fluidity in moving between mediums, engaging in cross-cultural and multidisciplinary exchanges.
Etel Adnan, Untitled, 2016
Estimate HK$ 400,000 - 600,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
Untitled, from 2016, is another exquisite exemplar of the artist’s signature visual language that captivates viewers with her vibrant use of colour and compelling composition. The intuitive arrangement of colour blocks, juxtaposing warm and cool tones, creates a mesmerising harmony that speaks to the emotional depth of Adnan's artistic vision. As with much of her oeuvre, this piece expresses complex emotions and ideas through the pure, unadulterated joy of colour and form.
Bernard Frize, Dol, 2018
Estimate HK$ 700,000 - 1,200,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
Bernard Frize is a French artist born in 1949 in Saint-Mandé, known for his innovative techniques and captivating abstract compositions. In his painting, Dol, Frize showcases his ability to create works of art that not only capture the viewer’s attention but also evoke both curiosity and contemplation. Throughout his career, Frize has continuously explored the relationships between colours, materials, and processes, resulting in unique pieces that invite the viewer to look at them multiple times.
His one-of-a-kind creative process involves recycling the remains of one series for the benefit of another.
“The monochrome that is drying over there is an example: at one point I put a canvas beneath it so that the drops that fall from it provide me with the beginning of another painting.” — Bernard Frize
Transcendental Landscape
Jia Aili, Untitled, 2015
Estimate HK$ 3,000,000 - 4,000,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
Born in 1979 in Liaoning Province, China, Jia Aili represents a new generation of Chinese painters who deviate from the socio-political themes of the 1990s Cynical Realism movement.
“I believe that paintings can possess transcendental behaviour, not empirical behaviour. In fact, the most valuable aspect of painting is its ability to transcend.” — Jia Aili
In Untitled, Jia Aili masterfully combines various stylistic elements and inspirations from art history and everyday life, pushing the boundaries of what painting can convey. The painting features a desolate landscape with a pale blue sky, where layered scenes and events unfold before the viewer. Amidst the chaos, a lone figure walks through the barren land, symbolising the eternal sense of wandering and the melancholic state of mind that permeates Jia’s work.
Jia Aili’s paintings can be interpreted through a Freudian lens, with the dreamlike landscapes reminiscent of Salvador Dali's surrealist masterpieces.
“There is a saying: I am unclear of what I am, but what I am not, I can clearly answer.” — Jia Aili
Zhang Yingnan, Silent World, 2015
Estimate HK$ 200,000 - 300,000
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, 31 March
Born in 1981, Zhang Yingnan is a rising Chinese contemporary artist whose work transcends the traditional confines of painting, offering an otherworldly perspective on the human condition and our connection to the environment.
In Silent World, Zhang immerses the viewer in enigmatic landscapes filled with rich colour palettes, intricate details, and a sense of tranquillity. The series features vast, serene spaces where the natural world and human-made structures seem to coexist in harmony. Zhang’s artistic style is characterised by a delicate balance of hyper-realism and abstraction, creating an atmosphere that is both familiar and mysterious.
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale
Hong Kong 31 March 2023