Bronze sculpture Edition: 6/8

18 × 45 × 21 cm. 7 1/8 × 17 3/4 × 8 1/4 in.

Signed in English, numbered, credited and dated on the bottom

LITERATURE (different editions)
1999, Contemporary Chinese Art Collection 6: Hsiung Ping-Ming, Mountain Art Museum, Kaohsiung, p. 45
2014, Breeze from Paris, Eslite Gallery, Taipei, p.162
2014, The Joy of Collecting Art, Artist Publishing, Taipei, p. 261
2019, The Joy of Collecting Art, Sichuan Fine Arts Publishing House, Chengdu, p.401
EXHIBITED (different editions)
4 Aug – 9 Sep 2001, Taiwan's Treasures: 2001 Exhibition, Mountain Art Museum, Kaohsiung
1 – 30 May 2010, Perfection·Serenity·Substance·Unrestraint· Chen Hsia-Yu, Hsiung Ping-Ming, Hsia Yan Sculpture Exhibition, Eslite Gallery, Taipei
31 May – 29 Jun 2014, Breeze from Paris, Eslite Gallery, Taipei
23 Nov – 15 Dec 2019, The Journey of Defining Yourself- Art Exhibition of Hsiung Ping-Ming, National Art Museum of China, Beijing

PROVENANCE
Important Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by a certification of authenticity issued by High Union Art Co., Ltd, Kaohsiung

Tough and Honest - Using Art to Convey the Truth
Hsiung Ping-Ming and Personification in A Cow with a Flat Belly

Hsiung Ping-Ming was talented in many different fields; philosophy, literature, painting, sculpture and calligraphy and can reasonably be described as one of the most cultured overseas Chinese artists in the 20th century. Moreover, oxen/cows are the most commonly seen motifs in his work. As the artist said when he produced the work Ox for Nanjing University: “The benevolent see its body bent in exhaustion; the brave its stubborn and unbending spirit; the wise notice the way it bends its front legs to allow the shepherd boy to climb onto its back, as it heads for the fields waiting to be planted.” In this way, Hsiung took an animal that has had a close and enduring relationship with humankind and elevates it to the level of a symbol replete with spirit.

Exploring the Meaning of Life

A Cow with a Flat Belly is a clear example of this approach. Moreover, Hsiung's background in art history means he was undoubtedly familiar with the Five Oxen by Tang Dynasty artist Han Huang (723-787). In addition, when he was in France the artist spent years researching the achievements of modern sculpture pioneer Auguste Rodin, as a result of which he developed a precise grasp of the form, spirit and artistic conception of oxen and how bet to showcase them. A detailed appreciation of this work reveals that the sturdy body of the ox brimming with spirit is covered with pinch marks, almost as if recording the willingness of the beast to give everything it has in a life of no regrets, despite the hardships it has endured, all while exuding a spirit of simplicity and honesty. In addition, this piece is also an emotional projection of the inner world of Hsiung Ping-Ming after experiencing the vicissitudes of life.

Viewed from the perspective of shape, method and ideas, to a certain degree the work is similar to that of Alberto Giacometti. Both men attempted to use sculpture as a vehicle to reveal the impact of war on humanity and more importantly, face the absurdity of life head on. Hsiung once said: “We are sculptors who have lived through war and as such we have a special feeling for fire welding and scrap iron.” In the eyes of the artist, the process of repeatedly cutting away and kneading creates not only lines and shapes, but even more a sensation of indescribable “depth of time.” As such, what Hsiung created in his works is not a re-presentation of real world oxen, but rather an intriguing combination of reality and imagination, emotion and memory. In this context, the auctioned work is a perfect example of how Hsiung Ping-Ming probed the meaning of human existence through art.

Price estimate:
HKD: 500,000 - 700,000
USD: 63,700 - 89,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 840,000