Ink and color， acrylic and pencil on paper

60×72 cm 23 5/8×28 3/8 in

Signed in English and dated with artist’s seal on bottom right； artist’ seal on bottom left； titled in Japanese
PROVENANCE
Private collection， AsiaTraditional stories under modern narratives
Born 1936 in Tokyo， Key Hiraga， after working in Asakusa， began to design tattoos for US soldiers garrisoning in Japan. The grotesque and gaudy atmosphere of his workplace “Hanamachi” which features hedonistic indulgence of sensual pleasures， and all his encounters， has became the important source of inspiration for his art. In 1963， Key Hiraga was awarded the prestigious “Shell Art Award”， which successfully gained him the attention of the international art community. Moreover， He traveled to live in Paris in 1965， during which he was deeply affected by the trend of art of that time and the special hedonistic environment of Pigalle. He uses bantering strokes to depict those hedonistic life.
Key Hiraga skillfully fuses a contemporary flavor with traditional techniques of Japanese painting. He used to paint a thick layer of oil on the canvas， whose texture is similar to the lime-based traditional Japanese architectural coating paint “Shikkui”. Later he turned to create with acrylic and alternative materials. The work on sale Portrait of the Hallway， bird， and Mr. Y（Lot752） was created in 1990. The painter portrayed， in a sort of peeping perspective， men and women amusing and flirting in the architecture of Japanese style. The imposing stature of the man forms a strong contrast with the geishas lying on the side， subtly revealing the different social status of the characters in presence. This further reveals the variety of forms of life in a hedonistic atmosphere of indulgent pleasure-seeking， making people sighing and reflecting.
Another work View inside the Car（Lot751） depicts a lusty scene inside a car. The composition of the picture is humorous and bold， filled with subtle and delicate characterization of the details. The gaudy prostitute sitting at the back of the car looks into the viewer with a very provocative posture， creating an interesting contrast with the look in eyes of the driver. The exaggerated eager expressions on his face are not sufficient to conceal the numbness and helplessness behind his exhausted eyes， gaining this work the charm and connotation as the works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Price estimate:
HKD: 100,000 – 150,000
USD: 12,800 – 19,200

Auction Result:
HKD: 118,000