Ink on paper

91 x 46 cm. 35 7/8 x 18 1/8 in.

Inscribed and signed in Chinese with one artist’s seal on top
PROVENANCE
Important Private Collection, Asia

You Can See the Real Me in the Silent Poems of My Landscapes
While discussing the development of contemporary Chinese ink painting, Jia Youfu is undoubtedly a name that cannot be omitted. In his studies, Jia Youfu followed Ye Qianyu, Li Kuchan, and Li Keran, the master of modern Chinese calligraphy and painting while rigorously studying and copying the classic works of famous historical painters, all in order to build a solid foundation. As early as the 1980s, he had made the profound discovery that the magic of art lies in reflecting the artist's spiritual cultivation through depicting natural scenery.
Perception of nature
Landscape with Poetry, although not very large in size, are both perfect examples of Jia Youfu's creative philosophy: to understand human life through nature and to break stereotypes by creating deeply thoughtful works.
Landscape with Poetry, the artist expressed a quiet and elegant night using different shades of ink and drew the reeds on the shore with short vertical strokes. The artist used a concise approach to depict a curved moon in the blank space in the upper part of the picture and a boat with its reflection in the lower part, and both parts subtly constitute a visual balance and echo each other. The objects depicted are a very common sight, but everything has been transformed into an open, quiet, and invigorating scene through the artist's poetic and philosophical freehand techniques. On the top, Jia Youfu wrote, “Matter and people can interact with each other spiritually.” This concept can be helpful in our endeavors to deepen our understanding of nature.
The work Onward with Braveness was created with different shades of ink, and the center of the picture is also blended with a touch of red and blue in order to reflect rich, pervasive water and gases, capturing the tranquility and vastness between Heaven and Earth. The key figure of the painting is a woodcutter carrying a large bundle of firewood and walking firmly along the ridge. The man shows the artist's high praise for hard work. Yet, as Jia Youfu did not want to show a concrete scene from a specific time and place, the woodcutter's face is not visible. The image of a human carrying a heavy burden and all the while still moving forward symbolizes his ambition: bold innovation and development of the inherited tradition of Chinese ink painting. This method of expressing the artist's spiritual ambitions through natural scenery deserves a moment of contemplation from viewers.

Price estimate:
HKD: 100,000 - 150,000
USD: 12,700 - 19,100

Auction Result:
HKD : --