Bronze Sculpture

24 × 50 × 21 cm. 9 1/2 x 19 5/8 x 8 1/4 in.

Signed in English and numbered on the bottom
Edition: 7/8

EXHIBITED
1 – 30 May 2010, Perfection．Serenity．Substance．Unrestraint: Chen Hsia-yu, Hsiung Ping-ming, Hsia Yan Sculpture Exhibition, Eslite Gallery, Taipei

PROVENANCE
Eslite Gallery, Taipei
Private Collection, Asia

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

Expressing the Steely Will of Existence
Chinese Modern Sculpture Master Hsiung Ping-ming
Hsiung Ping-ming was born in 1922 in Nanjing and after graduating from the Department of Philosophy at National Southwestern Associated University enrolled on a program of advanced study in the College of Liberal Arts at Paris University. However, Hsiung had loved the works of Master of Sculpture Auguste Rodin from a very young age and despite being close to completing his Ph.D. thesis in philosophy decided to study sculpture instead. Thereafter, he displayed an almost inexhaustible passion for subjects ranging from sculpture and painting to literary analysis and the research of calligraphy. Moreover, despite being able to freely explore multiple artistic disciplines, Hsiung retained his intellectual interest in humanist philosophy.
From Simple to Complex, Imbued with Personal Sentiment
In 1953, Hsiung Ping-ming completed his first welded sculpture —a crane— a common motif in traditional Chinese art. He then went on to develop a series of animal-based works made from metal pieces and machine components, which remain some of his most renowned pieces. Moreover, Hsiung’s sculptures evolved from initially simple images to deeply spiritual works, and later still, perfect combinations of material and image. These last pieces wandered unencumbered between lightness and weight, movement and stillness, representation and abstraction, all replete with vigor and vitality.
Several of Hsiung’s works were selected for display at the “Salon de Mai” in Paris where they were well received and successfully boosted the artist’s market profile. In addition, the gallery run by Iris Clert (1917-1986) held two solo exhibitions of his works. The sculpture Pigeon (Lot752) is one of the pieces completed in this period and an extremely rare one-of-a-kind. Through the ingenious combination of metal pieces and strips, Hsiung creates a roughly hewn representation of a pigeon, bereft of skin and bones, one that appears ready to spread its wings and take flight. The fact that the depiction is essentially an outline demonstrates the artist’s detailed observation of the subject matter, but it also showcases a sincere honesty that spiritually approximates to the pursuit of The Way.
It is impossible to know how many people have been influenced by the famous words of writer Lu Xun: “Faced with the insults and curses of the masses, I furrow my brow and continue on my own way. Yet faced with children, I would rather be like an ox - delighted to do their bidding.” However, we do know that this was one of the main reasons Hsiung Ping-ming selected the ox as a creative motif. The work Buffalo with Sunken Belly (Lot751) took the artist decades to complete, almost as if through his repeated shaping of the animal Hsiung seeks to brand the emaciated form of the ox with the marks of life, but even then the beast refuses to hang its head in surrender, choosing instead to stand upright and keep moving. Based on the exterior of this work, it is clear that Hsiung was influenced by Alberto Giacometti, another modern sculptor who dedicated himself to exploring the meaning of human existence. To that end, the artist shows how the ox struggles with all its might even in straightened circumstance, highlighting its resounding intensity and boldness of vision. This can also be interpreted as an allusion to the belief that faced with dramatic changes it is imperative that individuals reflect on the meaning of existence, a sentiment that is of particular importance in the artistic life of Hsiung Ping-ming.

Price estimate:
HKD: 450,000 - 650,000
USD: 57,700 - 83,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 531,000