Chu Teh-Chun - 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Evening Sale Hong Kong Saturday, November 25, 2017 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Private Collection (acquired directly from the artist in the 1960s)
    Christie’s, Paris, 9 December 2011, Lot 108
    Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

  • Catalogue Essay

    No. 111 displays the artist’s meticulous artistry with its elaborate details filling the composition mapped across the entire canvas. With the artist’s dexterous mastery of the contrasts between light and dark, the work fully conveys the poetic essence of traditional Chinese ink painting. The unbridled, broad brushstrokes roam in the background, while the foreground is enriched with colours, embodying the height of pastoral beauty. This work displays the artist’s earlier signature style, demonstrating his mastery of combining the East and West aesthetics senses.

    The ochre pigment dominates the majority of the composition, while the artist’s use of calligraphic lines in black injects a vibrant energy across the work. The mélange of peacock blue blocks set against burgundy swaths create a deep and alluring visual feast, resembling rubicund clouds resting above a valley, shining with dim blue lights. Such rendering gives us a sense of extraordinary beauty.

    Created in 1997, Hong Kong No 25 captures a dancing movement, with the use of intense lines in black pushed to the fore. In this precious work, the artist combines the warm and delightful tone of colours, creating vibrancy and synergy in the work. In this piece, one can imagine Chu Teh-Chun in his late seventies, capturing with his never-waning artistic energy, the moment of celebration at the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule, and recording the unforgettable firework display of the historical event.

Property of an Important Asian Collector

Ο44

No.111

1962
signed 'CHU TEH-CHUN [in Chinese and Pinyin]' lower right; further signed, titled, and dated 'CHU TEH-CHUN [in Pinyin and Chinese] 1962 "No.111"' on the reverse
oil on canvas
50 x 50 cm. (19 5/8 x 19 5/8 in.)
Painted in 1962, this work is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist's wife, Chu Ching-Chao. This work will be included in the artist's forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the work of Chu Teh-Chun, being prepared by Atelier Chu Teh-Chun. (Information provided by Atelier Chu Teh-Chun and Mrs Chu Ching-Chao)

Estimate
HK$2,400,000 - 3,500,000 
€265,000-386,000
$308,000-449,000

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

Sandy Ma
Specialist, Head of Evening Sale
+852 2318 2025

General Enquiries
+852 2318 2000

20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Evening Sale

Hong Kong Auction 26 November 2017