Oil on canvas

72.7 × 116.7 cm. 28 5/8 × 46 in.

Signed in English and dated on the reverse
EXHIBITED
7 Mar-18 Apr 2020, Frozen Soil―― Iida Kiriko Solo Exhibition, Soka Art, Taipei

PROVENANCE
Soka Art, Taipei
Private Collection, Asia

Waltzing Butterflies, the Valiant Dreams of Swordsmanship
Iida Kiriko's Song of the Snow

Iida Kiriko was born in 1970 in Hokkaido. She graduated from the Hokkaido Institute of Design in 1991. In 1998, she was specially prized the JACA Japan Visual Art Award. Snowfall often occurred in her hometown. Thus, the scenery of snow has become a predominant motif in her works. Her works are full of rich imagination and storytelling, which resembles prefaces of a films with implications that fascinate the sensory of every beholder. Iida Kiriko held solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Nagoya, Taipei, and other places since 2006. She also performed at Art Basel Hong Kong. The unique style of her magnificent yet mysterious Japanese aesthetics is highly sought after by collectors. One of her classic masterpieces Bird of the Miniature Garden 1 is presented here.

Severed Dreams of the World of Chivalry, Leaving behind Legends to be Remembered

Bird of the Miniature Garden 1 is set against the backdrop of the frozen Hokkaido. The centre of the painting features a beautiful man lying on an icy surface. He is dressed in a long white gown and has delicate short brown hair that complements his elegant appearance. The gentleness depicted in his hair and the purity of his gown manifests an aesthetic that is non-binary and non-gendered. His slender fingers are stretched out on the icy surface, feeling the temperature of the underground, and perfecting his elegant posture as he blends into mother nature. Although his skin is unblemished, his resolute eyes reveal the swordsman in him who has relinquished his sword, severing his desires from his dreams, leaving behind legends to be remembered. In the painting, Iida Kiriko employed delicate brushstrokes to portray the texture of the character's skin. It is flawless and fragile and could be easily shattered by the touch. His lips are adorned in a red blush colour, exuding the temperature of life.

Beauty of the Garden, Segregated from Commotion

In Japanese, “Hakoniwa” means “miniature garden” or “garden in a box”. The term was later extended to mean “small world”. Japan has a long and narrow geographical landscape, resulting to limited resources. Alongside the Japanese cultural pursuit of perfectionism and craftsmanship, small spaces are carefully designed to invoke the impression of a vast nature. Such cultural representation is depicted in Iida Kiriko's works. In Bird of the Miniature Garden 1, the eagles, birds, and butterflies are rested on the man's body, opposing their instincts to soar. The ideology of the integration of human and nature is portrayed in the imagery, conveying a world where the two subjects are peacefully sharing the same space that is segregated from worldly commotions.

The Colour Palette in Oriental Aesthetics

Iida Kiriko used multiple levels and brightness of white to create an inclusive space. The man's soft white robe occupies the centre of the picture with a smooth texture. The blue icy surface is highlighted with white tones for a glassy effect that is fluid and slightly melted with body heat. The birds and animals are painted in colourful colours. The butterflies possess indigo wings, birds have pink feathers, and the eagles have brown wings. The flying eagles exhibit different postures, dancing in colourful feathers in the white snowflakes, conveying the pureness and mysteriousness of oriental aesthetics.

Price estimate:
HKD: 40,000 - 80,000
USD: 5,100 - 10,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 240,000