Mixed media on paper

70 × 130 cm. 27 1/2 × 51 1/8 in.

Signed in Chinese twice on middle left

LITERATURE
2018, Blossoming Flower in Silence: Liu Wei Works, Xu Gallery, Shanghai, p. 12-13
EXHIBITED
31 Jan – 9 Mar 2018, Blossoming Flower in Silence: Liu Wei Works, Xu Gallery, Shanghai

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

Liu Wei's Encoded Garden
A Handwritten Manifesto to Our Time

Liu Wei's legendary oeuvre started from the early 1990's critical art movement “Cynical Realism”. As a leading figure, his creative expression transformed iconography of the past, and boldly inserted content of societal criticism as a response to questioning traditional aesthetics and ideology. In 1989, Liu graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in printmaking, and joined many international events, such as the China Modern Art exhibition, São Paulo Biennale, and the Venice Biennale. Following, his works are widely collected by major museums and institutions, such as the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Hong Kong M+ Museum.

Contemporary Proverbs: “Too Young to Die, Cherishing the Time”

Completed in 2013, Untitled 1-20 is an iconic work of Liu's Ink Landscape on Paper series, The confluence of ink and paper, generated by seamless brushwork creates a form of rhythmic dance, a celebratory beat in remembrance of Chinese traditional ink. While flowers and birds are known to be main theme in Liu's Ink Landscape series, Untitled 1-20 presents Chinese characters amongst an abundance of flowers, allowing symbolism to be filled across the entire surface, and extends the topic of life, which is crafted by our knowledge of wording, idioms and pictorial imagery. Such pairing of words and visual language also challenges our preconceived notion of ink painting, while it constructs an unprecedented response to Modern narrative.

Across the luxurious flower scenery, a thick tree branch is introduced and portrayed from right to left in one smooth brushwork. This important narrative not only creates depth and composition, but also highlights Chinese written format of right to left, and guides viewers to a panoramic view of Liu Wei's encoded garden. The array of flowers conveys the season of Spring, while the centre of the plane situates an oriole bird. On the right, a message of life is apparent by the depiction of skeletons hanging from the branches on the right of the painting. Compared to the abundance of life represented by the flowers, the skeletons are a clear symbol of life. In reference to Adam and Eve, the skeletons in Liu Wei's narrative may be dry and dead, but their remains are purposeful, as they are derived from dust from the ground, created by God. On the left of the branch are two large fruits – a strong indication of vitality provided by nature's environment. As noted, written characters are instilled ambiguously in the background of the flowers and near the skeletons, stating wordings like “God Angel”, “Too Young To Die”, “No Zou To Die”, “No Work No Die”, and “If Work Then No Die”. Such phrases surrounding the notion of ‘work' not only reflects the action of ‘work' in Contemporary society, but also a reminder to live our lives to avoid regrets. Furthermore, these phrases in English and Chinese are a strong demonstration of Liu's perspective and understanding of every era. As the confluence of tradition and contemporary appears, it also signals the lost of the past, a passing of his youth in Liu's memory. As noted in Ming Dynasty's Popular Collection of Traditional Chinese Wise Sayings, the oriole and flowers are indications of spring, and we must cherish the time we have, to live and to teach while freedom exists.

Price estimate:
HKD: 260,000 - 360,000
USD: 33,100 - 45,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 336,000