Mixed media on canvas

180 x 90 cm. 70 6/7 x 35 3/7 in.

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist issued by Lotus Art Gallery, Kaohsiung

Wandering in the Ebb and Flow of the Universe
The Romance of Quantum by Shen Chang-Ming

Born in 1956, the Taiwanese artist Shen Chang-Ming was admitted in 1973 into Tung Fang Design Institute, where he won the first place in the campus oil painting competition two years into his studies. In 1976, he was awarded the City Council President Prize presented by Taiwan Art Society. Starting from 1982, he has been holding solo exhibitions in different places. As a committed Buddhist and a fan of astrophysics, Shen derived the philosophy of his most celebrated series Wandering of quantum from quantum mechanics and Buddhist classics, and imitated quantum particles by sprinkling fine-grained sand on the canvas. Wandering of quantum V on show is one of the outstanding pieces.

The saffron-coloured sun at the top serves as an embodiment of how things emerge. What lies below is dotted blue and green paint, whose texture is reinforced by the granular layer beneath, resembling specks of dust in the boundless and all-encompassing universe. Shen resorted to sand as an emblem of quantum, the smallest unit of energy, and the potpourri of grit and paint adds to the spatial richness. Certain lighting conditions can bring out the hidden religious texts quoted from Diamond Sutra, which mean “developing a mind that does not abide in anything”. The underlying teachings encourage viewers to treat secular affairs with a carefree attitude and rise above the obsession with fame that is fleeting in nature.

Price estimate:
HKD: 80,000 – 150,000
USD: 10,200 – 19,100

Auction Result:
HKD: 129,800