Wooden sculpture

53.5×93.5×35 cm 21 1/8×36 3/4×13 3/4 in

Signed in Chinese and dated on bottom right
PROVENANCE
Private collection， Asia

This work is accompanied by a Certification of Authenticity issued by Juming Culture & Education FoundationSoon after beginning his studies under Yu-Yu Yang， Ju Ming began practicing Taichi to bolster his physical weaknesses， something Yang urged. Over the course of studying the practice， Ju Ming came to comprehend the unity between man and nature and other traditional philosophical thoughts. These realizations led to his creation of the highly-recognized series， Taichi. The two wood carvings put up for auction this time are both titled Taichi Series – Single Whip. Created in 1981 and 1990 respectively， they were each individually renowned as masterpieces of their time. The works portray the Single Whip posture， omitting details of bodily movement to focus on the meaning and energy of such a pose. The piece completed in 1981 is smaller in size， but a close-up view reveals that the artist retained the original texture of the wood， bringing out a natural sense of simplicity. When looking at it from afar， the piece takes on the appearance of a small and expressive traditional Chinese cultural totem， conveying the philosophical notion of “the body moving with the heart”.
The larger carving created in 1990 is a more solid yet agile caricature. The time at which it was completed can be considered as during the peak period of Ju Ming’s career， fully embodying his unique ability and mastery over wood as material. The worn and torn texture of the material by the exposure to sun and rain over many years makes it a product of the beautiful creation of nature， an allusion to the normal hardships one must endure throughout life. Ju Ming put such natural attribution to good use， pairing his ability to accurately shape the figure and infusing it with the essence and spirit of Chinese Kung Fu. The delicate balance of movement allows viewers to experience the free flow of energy that runs through Taichi， and the sharp contrast of the figure’s agility against the wood’s rusticity permits observers to realize Ju Ming’s Taichi-esque creativity， surging and tense with passion. With such minutiae of detail and range of emotions behind such a carving， a fully recognized and universal artistic language cannot help but emerge into being.

Price estimate:
HKD: 2,800,000 – 3,500,000
USD: 360,400 – 450,500

Auction Result:
HKD: 3,540,000