Oil on canvas

120 × 140 cm. 47 1/4 × 55 1/8 in.

Signed in Chinese and dated on bottom left; signed and titled in Chinese, inscribed with medium and size on the reverse

LITERATURE
2018, Li Qiang's Works, Long Museum, Chongqing, p. 120 – 121
EXHIBITED
22 Sep - 31 Oct 2018, Li Qiang's Works, Long Museum, Chongqing

PROVENANCE
Private collection, Asia

Magnolia Swaying in the Mind, Light Fragrance Flowing in the Moonlight upon Dusk

Li Qiang's Ode to Magnolia
A World in a Wild Flower, A Bodhi in a Leaf

The composition of Magnolia 2018 No.2 is dense on the left and scarce on the right, as if an autumn breeze blows from the right, gently stroking the magnolia stamens. The fallen pedals drift in the air, forming a natural flow with overlapping and undulating flowers and leaves. Straight branches echo the fragmented petals, forming the main theme of the painting. In the state of “moving”, the petals dance in the wind, but fall on the ground eventually, embodying the artist's philosophy of “a world in a wild flower, a bodhi in a leaf”.

Disappearance of Cloud and Smoke, Abundance after Full Blossom

Different from the usual blue-pink theme colour of magnolia in the past, Li Qiang used goose yellow as the main color in this piece, making the magnolia seem to be covered in shining moonlight, delicate fragrance floating, light and charming. A small number of emerald green leaves are intertwined with some gray-brown branches, forming a ballad from Song Dynasty. The colour of this painting changes from light to dense from the top down, which implies that the artist draws inspiration from the low-concentration ink colour of Chinese landscape painting. He also adds the interweaving changes of light and shadow, which echoes the saying that calligraphy and painting come from the same root.

Magnolia 2018 No.2 is not only a dance of lines and colours, but also a delicate balance between suspense and beauty. The petals blown off by the east wind whirl in the air, inadvertently weaving the maze of life, leading people to find answers to life beyond aesthetics.

Price estimate:
HKD: 200,000 – 300,000
USD: 25,800 – 38,700

Auction Result:
HKD: 413,000