Oil on canvas

108 × 81 cm. 42 1/2 × 31 7/8 in.

Signed in English on bottom right; titled, dated and signed in English and Chinese on the reverse

LITERATURE
2008, Alixe Fu, Impressions Contemporary Space, Taipei, p. 60-61.
EXHIBITED
14 - 29 Jun 2008, Alixe Fu Solo Exhibition, InSian Contemporary Space, Taipei

PROVENANCE
InSian Gallery, Taipei
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector form the above

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by InSian Gallery, Taipei

Life is Fleeting as a Dream and Bright as Stars
Alixe Fu's Wondrous Multidimensional Space

Born in 1961 and graduating from the College of Arts at Chinese Culture University, Alixe Fu pursued further studies at the National School of Fine Arts and the Van Gogh Village in Paris. In France, he was introduced to the western modern art movements including Surrealism, Fauvism, and Cubism. Like a seed that took root in the most fertile soil, Fu has become a leading postmodernist artist of the twenty-first century. His works are bold and colourful, creating fervent or desolate atmospheres that communicate the unutterably complicated emotions in the human subconscious. Fu has held over forty exhibitions in Paris, New York, Beijing, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, entering the Salon de Mai, the Salon d'Automne at the Grand Palais in Paris, and the Centre Pompidou, among others. Among his works, Gate Gods (Lot 147), Harvest Plénitude (Lot 148), and Fluffy Skirts (Lot 149) that are being auctioned this time are exceptional representatives of the artist's unique style.

Creating Rebirths and Fantastical Visions

Gate Gods, regarded as one of the best works from his “Rebirth Period” (1997-2005), depicts the image of a human face, which is a main feature of Fu's paintings. In the picture frame, two human figures stand in a field of red earth that gradually diffuses into light purple and orange hues. The large patches of warm colours that make up their bodies create a sense of multi-dimensionality and Cubist charm. On the left, a large-headed figure walks with infant-like arms, while the more proportional, adult-like figure on the right with folding arms seems to be deep in thought. Their bodies are covered with eyes of varying expressions and indefinite identities that are patched and overlapped in an ambiguous space. As if the souls of millions of people caught in one glimpse, the eyes give the work a dreamy, surrealist quality. Gate Gods vividly expresses the artist's insight that sometimes human beings boldly explore themselves and the world like infants. However, as they gradually become mature, they also inevitably become cautious or hope to escape, full of contradiction and reflection. These two kinds of “rebirths” are like gate gods that coexist in the human spiritual world, both opposition and unity with each other.

Harvest Plénitude is a still-life painting executed with vibrant colours and free brushstrokes. Against a white backdrop, fleshy fruits and melons spread across the picture frame. A pumpkin on the top left corner in a fiery red colour contrasts with the blue background, producing a vigorous visual effect. Apart from a distinguishable pumpkin, green apples, and pears, Fu portrayed the other items in wild and bold strokes and smears, capturing the essence of Expressionism. Through reducing the concreteness of objects and reducing them into their colours, a picture of joyous harvest is impressively depicted.

Dance through Life in Shadow and Haze

Fu has also created sculptures of striking appearances. He took nine years to complete Fluffy Skirts, using fibreglass, a medium that gives the sculpture a dreamy sheen and a hint of transparency. Dressed extravagantly, the sculpted figure has instinctive eyes, which conceals any emotion and identity but adds a romantic haziness to the work. The figure bends her body and opens her arms like a soaring bird. Curving lines form the contour of her fluffy skirt like a flower that is yet to bloom. As if recreating a child's doodle with his mastery of saturated colours, the artist injected a special and positive vitality into the figure by adorning her with an abundance of hues.

Price estimate:
HKD: 80,000 - 120,000
USD: 10,200 - 15,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 96,000