Wood sculpture

52.5 × 46.7 × 37.8 cm. 20 5/8 × 18 3/8 × 14 7/8 in.

Signed in Chinese and dated on the bottom of right leg
PROVENANCE
Important Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Nonprofit Organization Juming Culture and Education Foundation

Raising Spirit, Carving of True Self
Ju Ming's Taichi Wooden Carving

French art critic Jean-Luc Chalumeau once praised: “Ju Ming manipulates line and form in the three-dimensional space. The movements of Taichi are skillfully portrayed, where harmony and balance can be obtained from the unsteadiness in Chinese martial arts. ‘Taichi Spin Kick' seems to revive the miraculous discoveries of Greek statuary, hidden in the mass of these strangely agile forms.” Taichi Series -- Turn Stomp (Lot 141), completed at the peak of his creativity in the 1990s, is Ju Ming's exquisite work of balancing the aesthetics of Tai Chi by using his most familiar wood materials and following the natural texture.

Movement and Stillness Come Together, the Rhythm of Hardness and Softness: The Combination of “Form” and “Potential”

With the most balanced and rhythmic “turn and kick” in Tai Chi boxing, this work integrates the movements of having a firm stance, kicking and coherently raising the arm, making the protagonist in a dynamic of a vigorous forward strike. It is Ju Ming's highly abstract summary of Tai Chi's “form” and “potential”. The protagonist's gesture is similar to a “big” in Chinese characters, just like a calligrapher's giant swing. One of its arms is lower, with the other raising, whereas one of the legs is kicking and the other is squatting. The massive volume of the character is powerful, steady, and with a sharp sense of speed, like the moving of a brush in Chinese calligraphy, which perfectly represents Tai Chi's trait of making movement and stillness, hardness and softness compatible. A keen sense of speed cuts through the body, deepens the character's “movement”, and contains infinite “potential”. Ju Ming appropriately organized the attack and defence in Tai Chi boxing, highlighting the freehand carving style aesthetic.

Everlasting Life and the Inherent Beauty of Nature: Wood Carving's United Divine Marrow

As the highest form of “the combination of man and nature” in Ju Ming's eyes, woodcut Tai Chi is the most exquisite and aesthetically thoughtful sculpture category with unique artistic value. Ju Ming insists on using a whole piece of raw wood for carving. The filamentous texture of the wood grain and the flow of “qi” in Tai Chi complement each other to deepen the aesthetic feeling of the form.

Tai Chi Series -- Turn Stomp uses large camphor wood, with clear ups and downs. The head and neck of the figure are integrated with the right arm. The bend of the arm is naturally carved as an arc to emphasize the tension between pulling and pushing. The centre of the block is distinguished by a diagonal tangent line carved by the wild force. The forward left arm and leg are cut in a way full of speed, deepening the sense of filamentous natural wood texture, interweaving the flow of “qi”. The back of the figure focuses on the expression of massive strength. Some vertical or inclined geometric structures combine powerful energy and flowing breath in the shape of exquisite integration. This sculpture seems to echo the endless cycle of nature, deep into the inner beauty of Tai Chi.

Refine the Transcendental Spirit, Engraved the Gods in Heart

The sculpting of gods and Buddhas runs through Ju's early life and artistic experience. At the age of 15, he apprenticed to Lee Chinchuan, enlightened by temple culture, and nourished by folk art. At the age of 30, he learned from the famous sculptor Yuyu Yang. He boldly abandoned the details of traditional carving, and strived to present the shape with the spirit, realizing a leap in personal creation. He reapplied the spirit of simplification in the creation of sculptures about gods. In 1976, he exhibited a series of works such as Guan Yu, God with Iron Crutch, in the woodcarving solo exhibition held by the National Museum of History in Taipei, which won public praise and set up his reputation. Guan Yu (Lot 143) and Buddha (Lot 142) presented this time are classic wood carvings with the theme of gods and Buddhas. The unique works have charms that are derived from the natural texture of different woods.

Buddha is carved from a whole piece of Taiwan incense cedar. In particular, the back of the Buddha statue completely retains the slanted strip-like texture of the large wood surface. The wavy shape creates a sense of depth, representing the waving robe in the wind, fully illustrating Ju's pursuit, “the aesthetic power that conforms to nature.” The front of the Buddha is its dignified and peaceful face without detailed facial features. Artist trimmed it with straight lines and fulfilled the idea of “saving all beings”. The bun, lobe ears, and body were further cut into geometric blocks to strengthen the semi-abstract freehand charm. Ju carved vertically and horizontally into the wood.The perpendicular exploration and shaping were interweaved to create the sense of “flying in the air”, evoking the awe of viewers. From the sculptural spirit of “returning to nature”, Ju unleashes the ultimate beauty hidden in the wood, an artistic presentation in harmony with nature.

“The carved statues and historical figures seek to glorify the gods. Through his works, Ju Ming portrays his cosmic power beyond individuality, time, and space.”

――Johnson Chang

As the most recognisable and charming creation in Ju Ming's series of gods and Buddhas, this piece of Guan Yu highly restores the glorious power of the “God of War” transcending time and space and staying in people's hearts forever. The work is made of toon wood, also called “the king of wood”, and symbolises longevity. This kind of wood is in harmony with Guan Yu's spirit of “Prestige equates with the sun and the moon, reputation vibrates the universe”. For this work, Guan Yu stands with his hands on his back, wearing a honeylocust-like hat with a green headscarf, carrying the famous Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and wearing a long gown, representing himself as a general. His face is solemn and steady, phoenix eyes slightly closed, and beard gathered. The steadiness showed by his fortitude fully conveys his charm. Ju Ming used freehand shape rhyme capture to make delicacy embodied in roughness. The rich details allow people to feel Guan Yu's demeanour as the “God of War” from his facial expression and posture.

To highlight the quality of wood, Ju Ming used the combination of lines and surfaces to show the cultural image of Guan Yu from the outside to the inside. In the broad body of Guan Yu, neat cutting creates many linked geometric blocks, flexibly presenting the visual sense vividly. The bevel fold of the garment complies with the reinforced lines of the wood texture, bringing out the sense of free and easy. The wooden pile platform below elevates the leading role of Guan Yu standing on it, like recreating the heroic image of “lofty ambition and majestic spirit through the ages”.

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,200,000 - 2,000,000
USD: 152,900 - 254,800

Auction Result:
HKD: 1,440,000