Watercolour and collage on paper

20 x 20 cm. x 4 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 in. x 4

Signed in English and dated， titled on bottom right of each piece
EXHIBITED
1995, Hsia Yan: Lions with Swords Series, Eslite Gallery, Taipei
2003, Hsia Yan, Eslite Gallery, Taipei

PROVENANCE
Eslite Gallery, Taipei
Private Collection, Asia

The wonder in simplicity
Contemporary Transformation of Folk Symbols
Sword in Lion's Mouth is a popular folk pattern of Taiwanese people. The image of a lion with a sword between its teeth is often placed in houses as a deity able to ward off evil. After returning from the United States to Taiwan in 1992, Hsia Yan gradually started to utilize this symbol in his folk-related works. The subject of this auction is the quadriptych Sword in Lion's Mouth, one of Hsia's representative pieces featuring this ethnic image. Here, the artist used black ink lines to shape the lions' heads and respectively added red, yellow, blue, and green lines around them, emanating an aura of grandeur and righteousness. The core elements of the paintings — the lions' round eyes and the swords — are made of paper-cuts. Thanks to the stiff texture of the paper, the lions' eyes seem to be staring at the viewer in wrath, and the swords seem as sharp as real weapons. Hsia Yan used brush and modern canvas to vividly express the ancient symbols of the East, with the final effect being something truly marvelous!
The various refined blooming flowers featured in Bird Eating a Mantis （2003） show the artist's exquisite paper-cutting skills. The brown bird, the red dragonflies, the blue and white butterflies, the green mantises, and the red and black ladybugs are skillfully arranged by the artist on flowers and stalks. Some of them are flying around alone or in pairs, while some are shaking their wings, and some are even resting. Regarding the color palette, the artist deliberately used black paper-cuts to form the flowers in order to bring out the colorful insects and the bird. The mid-tone, powdery gray of the background adds an elegant charm to the image. The scene of the bird eating a mantis is somewhat reminiscent of the saying “the mantis eats a cicada with a sparrow lurking behind”, referring to one being unaware of an unseen danger. This simple picture conveys the artist's belief that one must not seek short-term success and quick profit. Instead, he or she should take a long-range view of things, which makes life all the more intriguing and affords food for thought.

Price estimate:
HKD: 50,000 - 80,000
USD: 6,400 - 10,200

Auction Result:
HKD : 80,240