Oil on canvas mounted on board

89.5 × 39.3 cm. 35 1/4 × 15 1/2 in.

Signed in English on bottom left
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, U.S.A
6 Apr 2013, Sotheby's Hong Kong Spring Auction, Lot 522
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

Sunlit Isle of Labour's Joy
Hee Hon-Chew's Mastery of Eastern and Western

Renowned Chinese-American modern artist Hee Hon-Chew was born in 1905 in Hawaii, the son of Hee Jackson, a revolutionary comrade of Sun Yat-sen and a renowned scholar. After childhood in Guangdong, China, he returned to the United States at the age of 15. In 1929, he enrolled at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, studying alongside Yun Gee. During his studies, he consistently excelled in on-campus art competitions and received scholarships. In 1949, he moved to Paris, studying under Cubist and "Machine Art" masters Fernand Léger and German Expressionist George Grosz. This laid the foundation for his eclectic aesthetic.

Teaching at the University of Hawaii since 1959, Hee Hon-Chew even had former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy as his student. His significant position in the art world is evident, with a large mural commissioned by the government still hanging at the Honolulu International Airport. The presented artwork, Coolie is a classic from his mature period in the 1960s.

Under the Stars, a Dance of Grace

Hee Hon-Chew, skilled in drawing from life experiences, deconstructs and reassembles geometric shapes through Cubist principles. In Coolie, he uses four intersecting blocks of colours to depict figures and environments, blending realism and abstract expression. The upper half of the bold composition features brick-red and orange hues against a dark background, with an arch-shaped structure at the centre. Hawaii's indigenous people joyfully toil under the moonlight, the saturated colours emphasizing their dynamic presence against the dark night sky. Notably, irregular geometric elements like half-circles and dissolving triangles portray reflections, and a trapezoidal structure reminiscent of an Eastern "Ding" on the right balances with curving lines. Unrestrained by Cubist constraints, the artwork perfectly encapsulates the aesthetic charm of Eastern "yin-yang twins" in the interplay of intense light and shadow.

The strokes are delicate, and upon close inspection, the canvas texture is preserved beneath layered colours. Vertical weave patterns and contrasting curved and straight lines add a rare dimension. As Hee Hon-Chew stated, "A good artist must have ideas and imagination, seeing beyond the physical to capture the beauty within. This crystallization, combining Eastern yin-yang rhythms with Western aesthetic thinking, must be expressed on canvas." This piece undoubtedly serves as an excellent interpretation of his artistic philosophy, embodying Hee's unwavering presence in modern art history as a representative of the Chinese.

Price estimate:
HKD: 30,000 - 50,000
USD: 3,800 - 6,400

Auction Result:
HKD: 36,000