Oil on canvas

60 × 50 cm. 23 5/8 x 19 5/8 in.

Signed in English and Chinese, dated on bottom right; signed and titled in English on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly by original owner from the artist
Private Collection, Milan
Private Collection, Asia

Open up a Universe within the Square of Canvas
The Artistic Exploration of Hsiao Chin
“Life itself is infinite creation, a challenge of timeless growth.”
—Hsiao Chin
Since the 1950s, Hsiao Chin has devoted himself to introducing Eastern philosophy into abstract art. By blending Taoist thoughts and religious philosophy, he has developed a strong visual language and reached an unconventional artistic realm, significantly contributing to the development of modern Chinese art. Born in Shanghai, Hsiao moved to Taiwan in 1949. Since 1952, he has been studying under Li Zhongsheng who enlightened his artistic career. By establishing the “Ton-Fan Art Group,” he set off a new trend of modern art in Taiwan and extended it overseas. Hsiao has been working abroad for more than 40 years. After immigrated to Italy, he founded many international art movements including the Movimento Punto and Surya Movement in Milan, significantly influencing the European art world.
The peak of Hsiao’s abstract art began in 1958. Rooted in Taoism and dualism, he has developed a profound connotation of the oriental spirit in the abstraction field. The presented two works this time are representatives of him during his exploration of abstractionism. The work Pittura-BV (Lot 723) was completed in 1959 with a distinct Taoist origin. The ink lines at the bottom appear like the air of chaos, implying the yin-yang philosophy. At the top, the geometrical structure representing “round sky and square earth” and the three dots symbolizing “after three come all things” further illustrate the philosophical thoughts of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, epitomizing the imagery of the universe.
The set of work, The Leap of Light (Set of two pieces) (Lot 724) pursues the spatial and material mobility of the universe, among which the work finished in 1960 draws on the cursive script to freely express artistic conceptions and construct a “spiritual space” emphasized by his teacher Li Zhongsheng. While the other work completed in 1962 incorporated the ideas of the Punto movement in 1961. In this painting, the contrast between the intuitive geometric figures and the colors contains an intense energy impact, and the red dots symbolizing the sun become the essence of the picture, laying the foundation for his subsequent artistic creation, and opening up an infinite spiritual world during the exploration of the fusion of Chinese and Western art.

Price estimate:
HKD: 100,000 - 150,000
USD: 12,800 - 19,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 118,000