Acrylic on canvas

125 x 95 cm. 49 1/4 x 37 3/8 in.

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

Shine Bright, Paint Strong
The Pure Mentality of Yang Chihung

“Life is an everlasting mystery that transcends the boundless time and space.”
Yang Chihung

Unlike Zao Wou-Ki and Chu Teh-Chun, Yang didn't shift gear from realism to abstract expressionism until the 1990s after moving to New York in 1979, but he managed to climb all the way up to rank among Chinese masters of abstract expressionists in ten years. Broome Street Series 3 (2017) on sale is considered to be one of the best pieces in the Eastern Poetics series that started in 2011. Its cursive and unrestrained calligraphic lines in the spirit of stream of consciousness present Yang's open and contemplative mind.

A Studio That Breeds Inspiration
After gaining his footing in the States, Yang set up his studio on Broome Street in Soho, New York in 1986. The studio witnesses his bursts of inspiration that have led to his achievements on abstract art. In May 2013, the Discovery Channel selected Yang as one of its featured Chinese painters, following the artist over a one year period in Broome St. Studio. Yang chose his workplace Broome Street as the subject as if to retain the time he spent on creation onto the canvas. The entangled strokes resemble the clash of ideas that produce artistic chemistry and reveal the artist's true inner thoughts.

Free-Flowing Calligraphic Strokes
The feature that distinguishes Yang's works from other abstract expressionist artists is the calligraphic strokes, be it feibai (flying white) technique or cursive script, which promise more texture to the painting than pure abstractionism. Departing from the bottom left, some strokes are free-flowing like a flying roc, some gradually diminish into countless thin lines, and others morph into yellow paint that shines bright and far, mirroring the artist's pure and clear mentality. As the brush slowly moved around the canvas, Yang projected his wild imagination and reflections on the extensive life onto the poetic painting.

Price estimate:
HKD: 220,000 – 280,000
USD: 28,100 – 35,700

Auction Result:
HKD: 354,000