Oil on canvas

80 × 65 cm. 31 1/2 x 25 5/8 in.

Signed in English and dated on bottom right

LITERATURE
2017, The Camelia Series of Dong Shaw-hwei, National Museum of History, Taipei, p.38
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

Lightness in Warmth
Dong Shaw-Hwei’s art
For the last 30 years, Dong Shaw-Hwei has kept her focus on painting, through which she expresses the feelings and thoughts she experiences every day. In 2017, Taipei National Museum of History hosted her large-scale solo exhibition titled In Courtyard, Recollecting Precious Moments of Life, which presented more than 250 works created over the past 20 years and divided into 10 series, all based on the theme of courtyard life, a clear sign that Dong has a highly sophisticated and rigorous system of creation.
The Elegance of Flowers Captured by Brush
The two works featured in this auction — The Holy Mother – Pink Camellia (Lot 683) and Clearness – Narcissus (Lot 684) — are the classic pieces from Dong Shaw-Hwei’s The Still Life of Black & White Table Series. The first highlights the beauty of camellia flowers. The shape of the vase is simple and somewhat clumsy, its posture attractive and seemingly moving. The glass is transparent, and the vase itself is planar in nature. The image of the Holy Mother on the table symbolizes sacred purity and is an important component of the whole composition. As Dong’s late mother always liked camellia, the artist often used it as a subject, likely to express a longing of sorts. The rough, solid wooden table hints at Dong’s pursuit of simplicity and her attitude toward life, and the table additionally defines the unique structure of the entire picture. The colors are harmonious and elegant — pale pink camellia, dark green leaves, and a blue-gray glass vase — altogether forming soft contrasts and complementing the image of the Holy Mother.
Dong Shaw-Hwei’s still lifes reflect her feelings concerning family life. The flowers she paints have different temperaments and postures, while Clearness – Narcissus shows the unique poise and elegance of narcissi. The light coming from the background creates an expressive scene. The plain old wooden table conveys Dong’s simple approach toward life, and the colors and luster of the teacup and the tea within it are delicate and realistic, showing the artist’s ability to cherish and play with various objects. The flowers and leaves of the narcissus are strong and beautiful, symbolizing hope and joy for the future, while also reminding viewers to appreciate what there is in life. The black wooden table which deliberately violates the rules of perspective contrasts against the bright gray background highlighting the beauty of the narcissus. White petals, yellow pistils, and emerald stems and leaves give the image a bright and refreshing overall palette. Although Dong simply depicts a few ordinary objects such as flowers, a teacup, a table, etc., her work possesses a chic aesthetic that people desire to savor. The whole picture conveys a lyrical and beautiful image, gentle emotions, and an overall sense of relaxation. While admiring the works of Dong Shaw-Hwei, viewers can see that a breakthrough in artistic style does not necessarily have to overshadow existing art forms. Sometimes, by quietly expressing feelings and thoughts through paintings, an artist can attain extraordinary achievements. Dong’s style harmoniously joins the seemingly opposite aesthetics of classicism, modernism, realism, and symbolism, bathing the viewer in tranquility and comfort.

Price estimate:
HKD: 98,000 - 150,000
USD: 12,600 - 19,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 295,000