Oil on canvas

30 x 22.5 cm. 11 3/4 × 8 7/8 in.

Signed in English and dated on bottom right
EXHIBITED
18 Feb - 26 Mar 2021, Scott Kahn: Afternoon of a Faun, Happer's Gallery, New York

PROVENANCE
Happer's Gallery, New York
Important Private Collection, Asia

Insight into the Soul through Landscape
Summer Ode by Scott Kahn

“I paint to understand myself and the world around me... My appreciation for life and freedom surpasses everything. Art, for me, is a refined expression of my life experiences. You might say it's a way of revealing to viewers what lies behind the things they actually see. If I'm truly successful, painting can achieve a kind of poetic transformation and elevation.”
——Scott Kahn

Kahn was born in 1946 into a wealthy Jewish family in Massachusetts, USA. Encouraged by neighbours and friends, he developed an interest in painting. In 1963, he entered the University of Pennsylvania, one of the eight Ivy League schools on the East Coast, to study dentistry. However, upon graduation, he decided to pursue his true passion for art and switched his major to painting. In 1967, he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the university, followed by a Master of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University three years later. His works are mainly inspired by nature, and with dreamlike compositions and surreal atmospheres, he directs viewers' gaze to every leaf and even every drop of dew in his paintings, leading them to explore the vast and beautiful artistic inspiration and scenery. His works are highly sought after by collectors. In 2021, Kahn signed with the internationally renowned gallery Almine Rech and held his first exhibition at its Paris space, with all of his works selling out before the opening. The following year, his painting Big House, Homage to America sold for HKD 11.25 million in Hong Kong, placing him among the ranks of “million-dollar artists” and attracting widespread attention.

Currently based in New York, Kahn differs from most local artists who choose abstract, graffiti, or semi-figurative styles. He steadfastly follows the path of modernism and delves into magical realism. With delicate and restrained brushstrokes and colours, he presents the subtleties he perceives in life and nature. His works often exude a unique atmosphere of solitude and spirituality, capturing the special emotion between humans and nature. Completed in 2016, Spring Path is a masterpiece that exemplifies Kahn's ability to project his inner world onto the landscape.

Expanding and Envisioning: the Inner Projection of Natural Landscapes

In Spring Path, Kahn weaves a symphony of colours using fresh greens, blues, and earth tones, presenting the brilliance of summer. The painting showcases a winding path in a wide angle perspective, with lush grass drawn with short brushstrokes on both sides leading into the distance, creating an imaginary space and guiding the viewer towards infinity, reminiscent of the saying “All roads lead to Rome,” a firm determination to walk on the path, looking forward to the future. In the azure sky, clouds float in parallel, each with a different shape yet aligned with each other, reminiscent of Rene Magritte's famous work The False Mirror. However, in this painting, Kahn focuses entirely on nature, creating a peaceful and serene environment where human figures are absent but traces of human activity can be perceived everywhere. As if walking alongside the clouds, the viewer can feel the gentle breeze and the rustling of the grass, experiencing the joyousness of summer.

Price estimate:
HKD 250,000 - 450,000
USD 32,100 – 57,700

Auction Result:
HKD: 300,000