Oil and glittered powder on canvas

130.6 x 85 cm. 51 1/2 x 33 1/2 in.

Signed in English with one artist’s seal on middle right
LITERATURE
1997, The Floating of Being: The Retrospective of Ku Fu-sheng, 1959-1996, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, p.105

EXHIBITED
1997, The Floating of Being: The Retrospective of Ku Fu-sheng, 1959-1996, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei
2017, It’s a Beautiful Life : A Memorial Retrospective of Fu-sheng KU’s work, Eslite Gallery, Taipei

PROVENANCE
Private collection, Asia

The real world's enchanting fantasies
Chinese Modern Painting Pioneer —
Fu-Sheng Ku
If everyone must choose a way of life, painting is my whole life—my thoughts are in my work, and so are my feelings and every detail of my existence.
—Fu-Sheng Ku
In 1960s Taiwanese art circles, Fu-sheng Ku's abstract paintings were known for their unique artistic language and profound connotations. Inspired by mysticism, he unveiled his deepest feelings, and each of his works has a strong literary atmosphere, combining the richness of literature with the softness of painting.
In 1961, Ku successfully held his first solo exhibition in Taipei, which made him the first member of the Fifth Moon Group to hold a solo exhibition. In the same year, he won the 6th São Paulo Art Biennial Show Medal, which opened the door to the international art scene. He was one of the few Taiwanese artists of the 60s who used modernist style to portray people. In his creations, he utilized lonely, nude figures to construct a time and space where dreams coexist with reality, with strong references to the themes of life and death.
The object of this auction, Night Music （1995）, has the typical characteristics of Ku's “Portand Period”, which took place at the end of the 20th century. The picture depicts two nude protagonists immersed in their own world. The flute-playing young man in the lower left corner contrasted against the energetic, bright green background looks relaxed and happy, echoing the rabbit “caught” in a circular space. The human body in the upper part of the picture seems to be hanging mid-air, being sucked up into the sky, giving off a feeling of instability and restlessness. The fantasy-like colors and varied tones of Night Music are different than the slightly dim color palette of the “Portland Period”, giving the painting a somber atmosphere, reminiscent of Marc Chagall's melancholic works and making it seem like a faintly light fantasy engulfed by the darkness.
After moving to San Francisco in 1974, Ku was influenced by the local Chinese community's culture and began to use printed fabrics as his canvas. Tropical Fish （2007） is a perfect example of such practice. With an underwater world as the main theme, the artist painted two people swimming among a shoal of fish. The flattened marine life fills the entire picture, breaking its rational limits, as if bringing the viewer along on wonderful journey.

Price estimate:
HKD: 220,000 - 320,000
USD: 28,000 - 40,800

Auction Result:
HKD : 259,600