Acrylic and paint on canvas

20 x 20 cm. 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.

Signed in English and dated on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

The Social Spirit of Graffiti
Reach's Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups

Reach, born in Kaohsiung in 1981, has fallen in love with graffiti subculture and began to create street graffiti in 1995. In 2007, he participated in the Graffiti Stories program of Abbaye d'Auberive in France and later that same year held his first solo exhibition in Shanghai. Then, in 2014, he traveled to Hawai'i to participate in the POW! WOW! Hawaii graffiti event. He has been invited by galleries in cities across Europe, the Americas, and Asia to join numerous exhibitions. As a representative of the contemporary graffiti industry, he has collaborated with brands such as Mont Blanc and Swatch. This auction features two of his early masterpieces, Chip & Dale and Home Lost, the second work part of Reach's solo exhibition held at the Over the Influence Gallery in Hong Kong in 2017.

Looking for One's Kind
Home Lost features a witty depiction of a polar bear. It can no longer survive in the Arctic Ocean as the icebergs are melting, so in order to save itself, it has climbed on a lifeguard's head. The lifeguard supports him with all his might, showing humans' affection for their furry siblings. At the same time, Reach is reminding viewers of the real threat that global warming poses and encourages further reflection.

Remembering Childhood Companions
Chip & Dale was inspired by 1934 British cartoon featuring the eponymous characters. Reach used his signature lightning symbol to make Chip's eyes sparkle in a sly and mischievous way, revitalizing the old animated character and giving the whole work a very modern feeling. In addition, the artist utilized an inkjet technique to create a lot of points of color on the purple canvas; from a distance, it seems that the memory of the old companion is flashing across the sky. The painting seems to be welcoming viewers into a time machine that can take them back to their childhood.

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,800 – 2,800
USD: 230 – 358

Auction Result:
HKD: 9,440