Acrylic and mixed media on canvas

120 × 150 cm. 47 1/4 × 59 in.

Signed in English and Chinese, titled in Italian, and dated on the reverse

LITERATURE
2016, Hsiao Chin, Primae Noctis Art Gallery, Lugano, p. 5-6
EXHIBITED
14 Jan-23 Feb 2016, Hsiao Chin, Primae Noctis Art Gallery, Lugano

PROVENANCE
Primae Noctis Art Gallery, Lugano
Acquired directly by present important private European collector from the above

A Transcendent View of All Things
Hsiao Chin's Way to Enlightenment

"My creation has always been rooted in the 'tradition of artistic and philosophical thoughts', thus pursuing the realm of 'unity of universe and human'; although most of it originated in the Taoist ideology, the methods used may vary, but the principle is the same.

To interpret my personal art, please let me introduce my own creative connotation in this way: 'Taking the wisdom of Chinese culture as the foundation and quote the way of gradual and self-inspection expressions of Western culture, then walking toward the infinity, also continue to explore the eternal feeling of innocence and let my artistic career continue growing'."

――Hsiao Chin

Born in Shanghai in 1935, trained by his Taiwanese mentor Li Zhongsheng and studied in Spain, Hsiao Chin has a rich and avant-garde artistic experience. As early as 1955, he formed the Eastern Painting Society with his classmates. In 1961, he launched the Punto International Art Movement in Milan, which received widespread acclaim in Europe. The term "Punto" in this movement is derived from the Italian word "punto", which is used to convey philosophical ideas by placing more emphasis on the connotation and spirituality of the artwork than on the form. Using the symbol of the "punto" as the starting point for his work, Hsiao Chin's work embodies the thought of "meditation" and "introspection". The artist's mature work Il Silencio, completed in 2013, is a masterful representation of the "stillness" in the Punto International Art Movement, representing the culmination of his consistent pursuit of "stillness" across fifty years in both Eastern philosophy and Western aesthetics.

Cosmic Images: the Energy of Life in Ponto

In Il Silencio, the momentum and energy between movement and stillness are fully expressed dually. In the painting, dots, lines and surfaces are superimposed and contrasted at different levels to reveal this space's static and dynamic atmosphere. The large expanse of dark blue forms a tranquil and endless milky way. It is mysterious, deep and unknown, seemingly calm. Still, in the curves, there is a hidden expansion that explores the infinite power of nature. On the right, the green colouring in equal widths like meteors, bringing out a slow-flowing visual sensation. Two swaying red and purple comets painted at the bottom with burning afterglow colours penetrate into the vertical and horizontal space, shining brightly in the sky. In the midst of all this, countless tiny dots are gathering, sometimes coalescing as if the sun, moon and stars were on their way, sometimes dispersing, drifting beyond the limits.

Through these tiny dots, Hsiao Chin used a quiet mind to contemplate and create a rich sense of movement in the stillness of the painting. Through the visual language of art, he explored the pictorial expression of words and philosophies. The dots in the painting are both the starting and ending points. They are a convergence of energy and a change of momentum. Pointing to the beginning of stillness but also towards endlessness.

"One requires tranquillity to reach one's far-reaching goal," the work is based on "stillness", exploring the spirituality of the East and the spiritual benchmark of modernism. "The state of vacancy should be brought to the utmost degree, and that of stillness guarded with unwearying vigour", it is the way of Hsiao Chin's art to be everlasting because of the flow of all things.

Price estimate:
HKD: 400,000 - 600,000
USD: 51,000 - 76,400

Auction Result:
HKD: 480,000