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“On the surface the faces in these portraits appear as calm as still water, but underneath there is great emotional turbulence. Within this state of conflict, the propagation of obscure and ambiguous destinies is carried on from generation to generation."
— Zhang XiaogangWith his renowned Bloodline series standing as a subtle articulation of lineage and introspection, Zhang Xiaogang is recognised as a chronicler of Chinese identity in many ways. The current work is a seminal piece from the Bloodline series, encapsulating the intensity of Chinese familial ties through a lens of profound symbolism and masterful execution.
Bloodline Series No. 28 is a canvas where the chiaroscuro of memory and heritage converge. Zhang’s proficient use of a muted colour palette set against a monochromatic backdrop, brings forth a composition reminiscent of the photographic aesthetics of the past era. The child figure’s face, illuminated with a subtle glow and sense of serenity, is able to transcend time and belies a deeper narrative.
The distinct red ‘bloodlines’ — a signature feature in Zhang’s portraiture — emerge as a key visual element, trailing from the child’s face and hinting at the unseen bonds and the destined paths. This chromatic symbolism echoes the Chinese axiom, ‘血濃於水’ (‘blood is thicker than water’) and serves as a visceral reminder of the power of kinship and familial ties. Notably, the recurring motif of bloodlines in Zhang Xiaogang’s paintings recall the Surrealist works of Frida Kahlo, serving as tangible links between the characters to their past.
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939, Collection of the Museum of Modern Art, Mexico. Artwork: © 2024 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Zhang’s artistic journey is marked by a continuous exploration with his own cultural heritage. His youth, overshadowed by the Cultural Revolution’s turbulence, set the stage for his later explorations into the collective and personal realms of Chinese society. The artistic progression of the ’85 New Wave’ movement propelled Zhang and his contemporaries to reconstruct their artistic heritage, leading to the genesis of a modern Chinese narrative in art.
Influenced by his European visits and the encounter with Gerhard Richter's oeuvre with photographs, Zhang's gaze turned inwards—towards the rich but often overlooked history encapsulated in family photographs. These images, repositories of tradition, family tie and aesthetics, became the catalyst for his Bloodline series. Through his art, Zhang sought to re-envision these relics of the past, transforming them into a dialogue of remembrance and re-embellishment, a process of reconstructing and refining cultural memory.
The depicted child is both a joyful and poignant figure, all emotions lying underneath an expression as calm as water. It serves as a beacon of generational aspirations, embodying the silent hopes and quiet struggles of its forebears. At the same time, it represents the advent of new beginnings, the potential of untold stories yet to unfold.
In essence, Zhang Xiaogang's Bloodline Series No. 28 is a resonant meditation on the intricate relationship between the self and the collective saga. With each brush stroke, Zhang constructs a visual story that is as much a reflection on the past as it is a contemplation of the future. It is much of a work that invites us to ponder the depths of our own lineage, the silent stories etched in our visages, and the indelible connections that define our shared heritage.
1993 marked the beginning of Zhang Xiaogang’s Bloodline series, which earned the artist critical acclaim within the international collecting community. In June 1994, four paintings of the series were exhibited at the São Paulo Biennale, winning him a bronze medal. The following year, 13 large Big Family paintings were exhibited at the Venice Biennale, marking the beginning of Zhang’s distinguished and prolific career. His works are cemented in permanent collections of global institutions, including HOW Art Museum, Shanghai; Long Museum, Shanghai; M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris; National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul; Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum, Japan; and National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, amongst others.
Provenance
Schoeni Gallery, Hong Kong
New York, Sotheby's, 20 September 2006, lot 155
Hong Kong, Christie's, 27 May 2018, lot 179
Acquired at the above sale by the present ownerExhibited
Hong Kong, Schoeni Art Gallery, 8+8-1 Selected Paintings by 15 Contemporary Artists, 19 June-12 July 1997
Property of an Important Asian Collection
Ж37
Bloodline Series No. 28
signed and dated 'Zhang Xiaogang [in Chinese] 1997' on the reverse; further numbered '28' on the overlap
oil on canvas
40.5 x 30 cm. (15 7/8 x 11 3/4 in.)
Painted in 1997.
Estimate
HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
€93,900-141,000
$103,000-154,000
Sold for HK$1,016,000
Angela Tian
Associate Specialist, Head of New Now Sale
20th Century & Contemporary Art, Hong Kong
+852 2318 2058
AngelaTian@phillips.com
New Now
Hong Kong Auction 29 March 2024
1
Guy Yanai
Rayol Without Me
Estimate HK$150,000 - 250,000
Sold for HK$304,800
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2
Salvo
Agosto
Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000
Sold for HK$1,079,500
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3
Gongkan
Through the Eyes
Estimate HK$160,000 - 260,000
Sold for HK$279,400
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4
Kasing Lung
Mon
Estimate HK$280,000 - 380,000
Sold for HK$330,200
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5
Atsushi Kaga
Lemons, Macarons and A Black Cat
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$508,000
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6
Ulala Imai
Brothers
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$215,900
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7
Ulala Imai
Butter Toast
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$215,900
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8
Gao Ludi
P18
Estimate HK$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for HK$53,340
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9No Reserve
Jing Zhiyong
Sea Breeze
Estimate HK$50,000 - 80,000 •
Sold for HK$107,950
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10
Kitti Narod
Diversity in the Pool
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$254,000
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11
Katherine Bradford
A Walk by the Water
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$165,100
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12
Alex Israel
Wave
Estimate HK$300,000 - 400,000
Sold for HK$355,600
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13
This lot is no longer available.
14
Jonathan Chapline
Palm Springs
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$355,600
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15
Jonathan Chapline
Digital Artifact
Estimate HK$70,000 - 100,000
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16
Eliot Greenwald
Jungle Egg 1
Estimate HK$120,000 - 220,000
Sold for HK$107,950
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17
Jenna Gribbon
Turtle Pond
Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000
Sold for HK$508,000
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18
KYNE
Untitled
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
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19
Yang Hyun Jun
Adult Child (Bruce Lee)
Estimate HK$50,000 - 70,000
Sold for HK$177,800
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20
Thierry Noir
The Dance of Colour
Estimate HK$120,000 - 180,000
Sold for HK$177,800
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21
Roby Dwi Antono
Kira
Estimate HK$200,000 - 300,000
Sold for HK$444,500
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22
Mr.
Untitled
Estimate HK$1,000,000 - 2,000,000
Sold for HK$1,206,500
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23
Yoshitomo Nara
Untitled
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$1,905,000
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24
Ayako Rokkaku
Untitled ARP1
Estimate HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000
Sold for HK$1,524,000
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25
MADSAKI
Le Reve 2
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$571,500
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26
Katherine Bernhardt
Green
Estimate HK$700,000 - 1,000,000
Sold for HK$736,600
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27
This lot is no longer available.
28
Takashi Murakami
Untitled
Estimate HK$650,000 - 850,000
Sold for HK$635,000
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29
Takashi Murakami
Untitled
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$762,000
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30
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31
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32
Chiharu Shiota
State of Being (Keys)
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$571,500
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33
Lin Tianmiao
Cotton Candy
Estimate HK$350,000 - 550,000
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34
Ding Yi
Appearance of Crosses 2019-15
Estimate HK$700,000 - 1,000,000
Sold for HK$1,016,000
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35
Zhao Zhao
Sky No. 6
Estimate HK$200,000 - 400,000
Sold for HK$406,400
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36
Fan Zhen
Lucky Flower
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$215,900
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37
Zhang Xiaogang
Bloodline Series No. 28
Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold for HK$1,016,000
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38
Yue Minjun
Warrior No. 10
Estimate HK$240,000 - 450,000
Sold for HK$533,400
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39
Yoshitomo Nara
Untitled
Estimate HK$700,000 - 900,000
Sold for HK$1,651,000
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40
Yoshitomo Nara
Girl
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$762,000
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41
Mayuka Yamamoto
Little Owl Boy
Estimate HK$150,000 - 250,000
Sold for HK$406,400
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42
Yoshitomo Nara
Kitman holding ski poles (sukii-tokku wo motsu Kittoman)
Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000
Sold for HK$635,000
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43
En Iwamura
Thinker
Estimate HK$70,000 - 100,000
Sold for HK$88,900
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44
Javier Calleja
So it Is
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
Sold for HK$1,016,000
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45
Scout Zabinski
Life Sung in Minor Key
Estimate HK$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for HK$99,060
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46
Peter McDonald
Party Mingle
Estimate HK$50,000 - 70,000
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47
Todd James
Neon Nighthawks
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
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48
Nicasio Fernandez
Nailed It!
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
Sold for HK$95,250
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49
Tom Sachs
Good Bye Brother
Estimate HK$200,000 - 300,000
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50
Joyce Pensato
Silver Clown
Estimate HK$500,000 - 700,000
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51
Michael Kagan
Standing On The Moon
Estimate HK$150,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$165,100
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52
Aboudia
Spectacle Watchers
Estimate HK$240,000 - 350,000
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53
Ryan Schneider
What Burns Never Returns
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$152,400
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54
Jordy Kerwick
Sans Cigarette
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$88,900
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55
Buyankhishig Unurbayar
Mist
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$101,600
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56
Thomas Houseago
Electric Night - Moonrise - Red Tide
Estimate HK$280,000 - 480,000
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57
Jess Valice
The Fisherman
Estimate HK$180,000 - 280,000
Sold for HK$165,100
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58
Oh de Laval
If I go to hell at least I will be with all my friends
Estimate HK$80,000 - 100,000
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59
France-Lise McGurn
No Soul Led
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$101,600
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60
Laure Mary-Couégnias
An Hour From Paris
Estimate HK$50,000 - 70,000
Sold for HK$33,020
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61
Ma Sibo
Carrousel
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
Sold for HK$152,400
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62
Josh Sperling
Wave #1
Estimate HK$120,000 - 180,000
Sold for HK$114,300
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63
Ni Zhiqi
Brick Series
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
Sold for HK$124,460
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64
Kwon Hyun-Jin
Visual Poetry Pixel Series #696
Estimate HK$100,000 - 200,000
Sold for HK$95,250
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65
Kim Tschang-Yeul
Waterdrops
Estimate HK$100,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$120,650
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66
Santiago Parra
Untitled
Estimate HK$100,000 - 150,000
Sold for HK$127,000
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67
Antony Gormley
Breathing Room XXIX
Estimate HK$120,000 - 180,000
Sold for HK$127,000
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68
Antony Gormley
Mindfield I
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$88,900
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69
Joey Leung Ka Yin
Everyday Practice - Sleeping
Estimate HK$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for HK$50,800
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70
Alan Chan
WHEN I WAS 17 - No. 21
Estimate HK$30,000 - 50,000
Sold for HK$38,100
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71
José Parlá
Mono-Transfer Untitled
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000
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72
Robert Nava
Pink Dragon with Clown
Estimate HK$150,000 - 250,000
Sold for HK$215,900
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73
Felix Treadwell
Snakeneck
Estimate HK$50,000 - 80,000
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74
Arkiv Vilmansa
HERE COMES MY DAYS IN THE SUN
Estimate HK$90,000 - 130,000
Sold for HK$114,300
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75
Mr.
We Can!
Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000
Sold for HK$355,600
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76
Kasing Lung
We Create Chaos 2
Estimate HK$50,000 - 70,000
Sold for HK$63,500
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77
Michael Lau
BB - Gardener series
Estimate HK$55,000 - 85,000
Sold for HK$69,850
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78
Michael Lau
TATTO - Gardener series
Estimate HK$55,000 - 85,000
Sold for HK$69,850
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79
Aa Maan
Melody
Estimate HK$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for HK$50,800
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80No Reserve
Matías Sánchez
Pintor con sombrero de copa
Estimate HK$50,000 - 80,000 •
Sold for HK$107,950
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81
Oh de Laval
Untitled
Estimate HK$20,000 - 30,000
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