Oil on canvas

90 × 71.5 cm. 35 3/8 x 28 1/8 in.

Signed in Chinese on bottom right

LITERATURE
2009, Chiu Ya-Tsai, Ming Art Gallery, Taipei, p.135
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

Cool in the Face of Difficulty
A Portrait by Chiu Ya-Tsai Evincing an Inner Monologue
Chiu Ya-Tsai follows the painting style of China’s Han and Tang eras; the curved thin eyebrows, almond eyes, hooked noses and oval faces of the subjects of his portraits have the elegant, self-assured temperament and characteristics of refined Tang dynasty scholars. He knows how to capture a subject’s spirit and style, unveiling the complex state of mind behind the expression of the face and revealing the depth of the subject’s humanity. From early on, Chiu was well read in classical literature, both Chinese and Western. He was able to peel back the fine layers of humanity and understand scholars’ psychology, and he could unearth the complexity of his subjects to paint scholars’ portraits more vividly and with astounding depth.
Influenced by Picasso’s Blue Period, the work Ease deliberately ignores concepts of time and space as the subject is placed alone in a pure color setting. The enlarged face and gloomy background give an effect of visual alienation. In the painting, the scholar’s black hair and the outline of his face are almost hidden in the background. The flowing blue-black shadow extending from the eyes to the neck reflects his dispirited state, yet the eyes betray an aloofness, an indifferent expression that conceals deep feelings, as if to show that he is able to calmly face life’s various difficulties. Chiu Ya-Tsai’s dejected scholar has turned loneliness into self-absorbed enjoyment. The subject’s outward indifference and alienation, along with his aloof scholarly disposition, are a foil to his inner detachment and ease.
The Aspiration Expressed in the Name of a Flower
After gaining widespread recognition of painting portrait, Chiu Ya-Tsai has continued creating nearly 20 works on landscape, flower and still life since 2005. The work, Flower, is one of the rare paintings of such theme. The picture focuses on a single sunflower that outshines others. Through a sharp contrast of colors and deft brushstrokes, a blooming flower is delicately depicted. The sense of the rhythm of petals which are seemingly rotating is reminiscent of the Sunflower of Van Gogh, expressive and full of vitality. The work represents a complete reversal of portraits with a cheerful and confident manner, vividly reflecting the artist’s life attitude and spirit.

Price estimate:
HKD: 150,000 - 200,000
USD: 19,200 - 25,600

Auction Result:
HKD: --