Wang Keping - 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale Hong Kong Friday, October 6, 2023 | Phillips

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  • “… The work of Wang Keping shook Chinese sculpture once and for all free of the conventions it had laboured under since it had first become a recognised art form in China. This new freedom stimulated young sculptors, liberated some of the established ones, and opened the way to a vast enlarging of the range and style and expression.”
    —    Michael Sullivan


    Gentle and ample, maternal and sensual, Untitled 6-WK07 is an emblematic work by the globally renowned Chinese sculptor Wang Keping. As one of the leading members of the avantgarde Xingxing (Stars) group, Wang’s oeuvre is characterised by his pioneering technical and conceptual abilities in exploring the representation of women. Untitled 6-WK07 is harmoniously balanced and composed with abstract forms sculpted in sumptuous curves – giving eloquent expression to the simple yet original femininity that the artist was striving for. It is important to note that Wang’s large-scale works are mostly however not all, based on smaller sculptures in wood. Presented here is a voluptuous female figure with prominent breasts – the compositional approach of the present work particularly draws parallels to the artist’s monumental LOLO installed permanently at the Fondation Carmignac in Porquerolles.

     

    Wang’s relocation to Paris in 1984 paved a way for him to explore more radical subjects such as the female nude as well as the potential of wood as a medium. In Untitled 6-WK07, the artist embraces the natural contours of cedar – such as the grains, knots, and flaws – to evoke a figurative representation that is smooth to the touch. Several of Wang’s works are currently housed in major art institutions and he has been honoured with solo exhibitions around the world. His forthcoming solo show Exposition at the Château de Chambord will encompass works that are rendered in both wood and bronze displayed in an outdoor setting. The artist is considered, internationally, as one of the most important contributors to contemporary sculpture.

     

     Wang Keping discusses the concept of femininity and inspiration for his sculpture LOLO
    Video courtesy of Fondation Carmignac

    • Provenance

      HdM Gallery, Hong Kong
      Acquired from the above by the present owner

158

Untitled 6-WK07

incised 'Wang [in Chinese] K' lower back
cedar
79 x 32.5 x 34.5 cm. (31 1/8 x 12 3/4 x 13 5/8 in.)
Executed in 2004.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
HK$220,000 - 350,000 
€26,700-42,400
$28,200-44,900

Contact Specialist

Anastasia Salnikoff
Head of Day Sale, Associate Specialist
+852 2318 2014
anastasiasalnikoff@phillips.com

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale

Hong Kong Auction 7 October 2023