Oil on canvas

66.5 x 82.5 cm.26 1/8 x 32 1/2 in.

Signed in Chinese and English and dated on the lower right
LITERATURE CAAC Inflight Magazine, No.100, Issue 6, 1999, p101-102.
PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist's relative;
Formerly the Property from Ms. Huai-Kuei Song Collection.

“No colours and lines appeared on my painting by accident, they all reached  the same goal by harmony: starting the light, evoking the image and rhythm.”
—— Chu The-Chun

When entering the 1990s, Chu DeChun’s painting no longer presents pure abstract structure but the spiritual sentiment corresponding to the nature. At this time, painting of Chun DeChun was concisely defined as “abstract landscape” and it was a general “landscape” that does not only present the specific scenery of a site but the flow of life in nature. His paintings do not specifically portray the appearance and shape of the nature but the imagination of the birth and quiescence of nature, ecstasy and overwhelming sorrow of nature, and the “formless image” of blood and heartbeats, which originated from the artist’s profound meditation to the universe and life. Chu Dechun admires the landscape artist Fan Kuan from Northern Song Dynasty and although his refreshing and smooth painting style completely differ from the subtle and plain style of Fan Kuan, the audience tends to be moved by a massively macro thinking and mediation in front of their works. Hence, the painting of Chu Dechun portray an independent world existing in his spirit, which is both imaginary and real world. His works travel between the different images like the melody with sweet and glorious music, introducing the viewers to enter a poetic fantasy space, drawing the vision of the viewers to collide with the lighting and shadow of the screen in order, and eventually be settled into reconciliation, realizing the artist’s inner searching of universal order that connects with the root of the artist in memory – Chinese traditional culture.

The leaping and moving of the blocks and lines in Chu Dechun’s works always maintain a certain a refreshing and wonderful improvisation, nonetheless with deliberate and prudent arrangement. Such spontaneous reveal and unrestrained touch both expose the genes of Chinese culture inside his blood. Famous French art critic Pierre Cabanne commented on Chu Dechun’s painting and said: “The bright spot and glowing dots attract the attention and expel the threatening darkness, suffocating the far vision with chatic air while the bustling colors unfold the new world. The tempos collide with each other in an ever-changing infinite field. The universe exists here after the surface abstraction with the enteral authenticity valued by the ancient Confusion and Daoism. The colors and contrast constitute rhythmic chaos and coincidentally form the “meridian” of mountain, grains, cloud, and water in Chinese meanings.” Created in 1996, “Snow Night” exhibits the superior capacity of perfectly presenting the Chinese ink painting: whereas the lines are presented between material and expression, using the subtle and free colors to combine the wild-grass lines, exquisiteness of oriental art, and the conversation of encountering between eternity and nature, which truly expresses the fusion and convergence between oriental expression and Western rationality.

Both “Morning Songs” and “Snow Night” by Chu Dechun collected for this auction are the best representation of the artist in the 1990s. The “Morning Songs” is a classical blue painting by Chu Dechun. Blue is known as the color of the universe and the earliest life on the earth started from the blue color. Chu Dechun showed most favor for this ancient color, which was related to his favor in the myth, fantasy, tolerance, and poetry of ocean. He once said: “Blue is the most momentous color in nature: The vast sky is blue and the ocean without boundary is also blue. However, such momentous blue contains the poetic implication with broad affinity. Unlike dazzling yellow color that coincidentally becomes the global emperor’s flaunting of powers. Blue is the color that belongs to mankind and the world of life.” The works of contemporary artist Yves Klei shows bright and simple blue color by creating a “Klein Blue.” In contrast to the single Klein blue, Chu Dechun uses a blue color that is not based on a single color but contains a variety and diversity. His color is manifested with subtle color transience from dark blue to light blue, whereas the transition between the blue colors of different brightness and darkness travel through the atmosphere like the light, as shown in his work, “Morning Songs.” Looking into Chun Dechun’s works, blue color has called our spirit like a belief to the spiritual real of infinite remoteness, which leads to a remote and unknown world unknowingly.”

“Morning Songs” has been collected by Mr. Maryn Varbanov and Madam Song Huai-Kuei for years with the group photo of Madam Song and artist Chu Dechun in front of painting. French Maryn Varbanov studied painting in China from the early days, fell in love with his colleague Song Huai-Kuei and became the first case of foreign marriage since the founding of New China with the special permission granted by Zhou Enlai. Both Varbanov and Song were outstanding tapestry artists who moved to Paris in 1975, before returning to continue development in China and becoming the outstanding talents. After getting hired by China Academy of Art, Varbanov positioned in the academic height of art without border and took actions to awaken the Chinese art. The vibrant academic atmosphere of academy at the time and the establishment of the Maryn Varbanov Research Institute of Tapestry, have produced major enlightenment to Chinese art and art education through forward-looking interdisciplinary scheme, particularly the acquisition of major achievement and international impact in Lausanne, Switzerland. From the perspective of study of history, Maryn Varbanov Research Institute of Tapestry led China contemporary art research to bypass simple western imitation but to open to the prudent research of academic-based contemporary experimental arts. Madam Song is a legendary lady who is smart, elegant, graceful and stylish. She is a person of multiple identities, the tapestry artist, first Chinese stylist, social activist, and entrepreneur. She was the first Chinese chief representative to enter the Chinese-French clothing brand, Pierre Cardin, who introduced fashion into China. She is also the general manager of Chinese-Foreign ventured Maxim Restaurant. This restaurant not only becomes the transmitter of French food culture but also a shelter for Chinese rock-‘n-roll music. Mr. Maryn Varbanov and his wife has made outstanding contribution to the development of Chinese contemporary art that not only promotes the implementation of contemporary arts but they also sponsors in the collection. They are a true legendary couple of contemporary art circle.

Price estimate:
HKD：1,500,000 - 2,000,000
USD：193,500 - 258,100

Auction Result:
HKD: 2,415,000