Ink and colour on paper

135.7 × 67 cm. 53 3/8 × 26 3/8 in.

Signed in Chinese with an artist's seal on bottom left

LITERATURE
2018, Shi Hu Collection, Chelesa Art, Hong Kong, p. 13-14
PROVENANCE
Chelesa Art, Hong Kong
Important Private Collection, Asia

Beauty Reaches through the Ages to the Present
Lady in the Forest by Shi Hu, a Pioneer of Modern Ink Painting

In 1991, the first book ultimately overturned the concept of Chinese ink painting in the history of Chinese art entitled Chinese Modern Ink Art was published, and Shi Hu was the leading figure in it. Graduated from the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts, he not only mastered traditional Chinese painting techniques but also extensively studied the views of modern giants such as Jean Miro and Pablo Picasso. He also travelled around Africa in the 1970s to study culture and art and finally reached the ultimate peak of integration for his creation in the 1990s. In his paintings, time and colour resonate as if in a dream-like setting, creating a mind-boggling richness of layers. Shi Hu has held solo exhibitions at the Nanjing Museum, the National Museum of Indonesia and the National Art Museum of China and was appointed President of the World Association of Chinese Artists in 1996. Lady in the Forest was painted in 1990, at the birth of experimental modern ink painting' in China. It has the theme that Shi Hu continued to focus on since the beginning of his independent style in the 1980s, which is of great significance.

Bold and Innovative, Charm in the Eyes

In Lady in the Forest, Shi Hu has boldly adopted a new way of expressing the “white space” in traditional ink painting, using layers of coloured ink to contrast the outline of grass and trees, creating an ancient and rustic texture as if it were a rubbing, and rendering a natural vibrancy of flourishing branches and leaves. The dots of red and green sprinkled among the veins and stems. They are like stardust falling from the sky and reappearing the mysterious purity of ancient rock paintings, which contains the sedimentation of time. Shi Hu once said, “I like the effect of peeling, which reflects a sense of time, so I don't just add, I subtract”. With his specialised colour overlays, he creates a complex texture full of Chinese culture's strong vitality and evokes the viewer's imagination of the history. The branches and leaves are a light white veil, veiling the beautiful girl behind. The girl's body is boldly outlined in an almost cubist style with traditional Chinese ink lines and rendered in rock painting-like black and red colours. The girl's delicate beauty from different angles vividly evokes the pure nature of humans. Shi Hu has abandoned the established painting formula and rediscovered the originality of his artistic creation. His frankness, naturalness, and surging enthusiasm bring his works to life with astonishing vibrancy.

Price estimate:
HKD: 100,000 - 200,000
USD: 12,700 - 25,500

Auction Result:
HKD: 240,000