Lee Ufan - 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Evening Sale Hong Kong Saturday, May 26, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Private Collection, Japan (acquired directly from the artist)
    Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Catalogue Essay

    Painted in 1980, the present lot is a classic example of Lee Ufan’s signature From Line series, of which the artist dedicated over ten years of his life between 1973 and 1984. In From Line No.800139, twenty-eight vertical lines are arranged vertically across the composition, each one varying in thickness of stroke, from being very thick at the top end to fading out and ultimately evaporating at the bottom as the paint is used up. The rich blue hue, which the artist created himself by mixing powdered cobalt pigment with glue, is a striking contrast to the wash of yellow oil paint that has been painted over the surface of the canvas, creating an illusion where the lines seem to vibrate. Characteristic of Lee’s practice, the work has been executed in a disciplined, almost ritualistic way, where each line is given equal importance, evoking a sense of rhythm and stillness to the composition as a whole. To create From Line No.800139, Lee rotates the canvas 90 degrees, then dips a round-tipped brush with pigment and pulls it from left to right across the canvas in repetitive fluid motions. Through synchronising each brushstroke with the rhythm of his breathing, Lee’s act of painting thus becomes a ritualistic, meditative process which results in a work of dramatic yet exquisite simplicity.

    As a leading proponent of the Japanese avant-garde movement Mono-Ha, Lee sought to reject Western notions of representation in response to the rapid industrialization of Japan occurring in the 1970s, instead turning to his Confucian roots to draw upon calligraphy and Nihonga (Japanese style painting) as sources of inspiration in his art. As one of Lee’s earliest painting series, From Line has been exhibited internationally, including at the Guggenheim Museum, New York and the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.

Property of an Important European Collector

Ο59

From Line No. 800139

1980
signed and dated 'L. UFAN 80' lower right; further signed, titled and dated '"From Line No.800139" Lee Ufan' on the reverse
oil and mineral pigment on canvas
112.2 x 145.9 cm. (44 1/8 x 57 1/2 in.)
Executed in 1980, this work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Tokyo Gallery and Beijing Tokyo Art Projects.

Estimate
HK$4,500,000 - 6,500,000 
€484,000-699,000
$577,000-833,000

Sold for HK$6,700,000

Contact Specialist
Jonathan Crockett
Deputy Chairman, Asia and Head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Asia
+852 2318 2023

Isaure de Viel Castel
Head of Department
+852 2318 2011

Sandy Ma
Head of Sale
+852 2318 2025

20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Evening Sale

Hong Kong Auction 27 May 2018