Oil on canvas

160 x 130 cm. 64 x 51 1/6 in.

Signed in Chinese on bottom right
LITERATURE
2009, Chiu Ya-Tsai, Ming Art Gallery, Taipei, p.52 – 53

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

An Observer of Humans
Chiu Ya-Tsai's World of Art
Chiu Ya-Tsai was somewhat introverted and lonely since the time he was a child. When he was young, he used to create comic strips for magazines to make a living. In 1981, Chiu met Chow Yu, the owner of Taipei's Wistaria Tea House, a cultural salon where literati, celebrities, and artists used to gather. Chiu went there every day to observe people of all kinds. In the future, portraits would become his most common theme. His work attracted the attention of Chinese contemporary art circles always on the lookout for new stars, especially the eyes of Johnson Chang, the director of Hanart TZ Gallery. Chang invited Chiu to take part in a Dual Exhibition Cheng Tsai-Tung and Chiu Ya-Tsai held in Hong Kong in 1988. Later, Chiu held a solo exhibition in the Plum Blossom Gallery in New York and the Saqurah Gallery in Switzerland. All this proves that his works are universal and that their influence can cross national borders. After the 1990s, his works became more diverse, and his style became more widely recognized. During this autumn auction, Guardian Hong Kong is proud to present three of his works: two classic portraits from the 1990s, Leisure and Pray, and a still life （quite a rare theme for Chiu） from the 2000s titled Green.
Between Calmness and Enthusiasm
Leisure （1992） features a middle-aged man sitting on a chair against a background of Chinese red. He is wearing an elegant suit and a pair of white socks without shoes, somewhat suggesting that under the introverted, clean appearance of Chiu Ya-Tsai, there is a heart eager for freedom. The protagonist's slender eyebrows, delicate eyes, and elliptical face are features characteristic of Tang Dynasty art. The most striking thing is the three-dimensional structure on the left, slightly resembling a rock. The piece is reminiscent of Fishing on a River in Winter, a painting by Ming Dynasty's master of landscape, Shen Zhou. It seems that Chiu cleverly simplified the mountains visible in the middle of that painting, and just as the ancients used brush and ink to express the texture of the mountain stone, he used oil paint to form red, blue, and green color blocks, which, apart from representing a rock, also resemble the stained glass often used in European churches, bringing a surreal feeling to the whole picture.
Waiting under the Stars
Pray （1991） features a young Asian man against the background of a starry sky. He is wearing a green sweater, with the collar of a red shirt also visible. Such bright colors reveal the protagonist's young age, and the distant stars symbolize hope. Perhaps Chiu Ya-Tsai, already famous at that time, depicted his past self as a lonely boy. The stars witness the hope, confusion, and expectation the boy is feeling, although it is clear he will finally find his path. The artist only created three works that feature stars as the background, making the importance of Pray all the more self-evident.
Vigorous Vitality
After 2005, Chiu Ya-Tsai began to pursue his own breakthrough, so he successively created a series of works featuring still lifes and flowers as the main theme. Around merely 20 works like that have been preserved, which makes Green extraordinarily precious. In the picture, the artist boldly uses different shades of green. The blossoming flowers and leaves in the center of the picture have curved lines, and they almost seem to dance, somewhat reminiscent of Van Gogh's Sunflowers. In the background, the dividing line between beige and green forms the plane on which the vase is placed. The delicate, light bluish flowers blossoming at the end of the stems among thick green remind the viewers of the fresh fragrance of early spring, showing the artist's confidence and unrestrained creativity.

Price estimate:
HKD: 900,000 - 1,200,000
USD: 114,600 - 152,900

Auction Result:
HKD : --