Oil and tempera on canvas

75.5 x 50 cm. 29 3/4 x 19 5/8 in.

Signed in Chinese and dated on bottom right
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

The Anticipated Winter, Splendid and Silent
Yeh Tzu-chi's Diary of Camellia

Yeh Tzu-chi, a renowned Taiwanese artist, graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at Chinese Culture University in Taipei. In 1989 he furthered his education on Master of Arts at Brooklyn College of City University of New York, after which he stayed in USA for almost 20 years. Yeh has a strong passion for the classical art. Since he comprehended its profound essence, he has been adopting classicism in his art creation. In spite of being realistic, Yeh's artworks are infused with his deep understanding of objects and intense emotions towards them. Since he returned to Hualien city, his hometown, Yeh's still-life paintings on landscape, being touching and deep in sentiments, have been prominent. White Camellia is Yeh's depiction of Camellia japonica 'Alba Plena' which usually blossoms in December and January. The silent beauty of the bloom in the frigid winter leaves a memorable impression to viewers.

Yeh portraits an untainted, perfect white camellia placed in a ceramic vase in a realistic way. Its plump petals are glossy, reflecting soft light shed on it. The background is split into two parts, with the lower part as a wooden desk of warm brown, the grey background in the upper part nurturing a tranquil and neat atmosphere. Moving closer, viewers can appreciate the clear grain of petals as well as the bloom's vitality. A soundless yet breathtaking grace is thereby in the air. The greyish-blue vase stands at the center of the wooden desk, displaying a strong sense of theatricality. It seems to narrate the eternal frozen moment of life on the stage in spite of its short florescence. Yeh completed this still life with his extraordinary employment of tempera, giving the seemingly heavy oil paints a lustrous texture as well as delicate tones.

Camellia is a special motif of significant meanings for Yeh Tzu-chi. Camellias prosper widely in Yunnan, where Yeh's mother came from. She passed away in February 1994. In that early spring, he painted Camellia japonica 'Alba Plena' for the first time, his first work on the motif of camellia, to commemorate his mother. Different from other types of camellias, Camellia japonica 'Alba Plena' flourishes in winter and withers quietly in the spring, when most flowers thrive. When viewers observe the painting with an undisturbed mind, viewers can recall the past and look forward to the future in the New Year season.

Price estimate:
HKD: 300,000 – 450,000
USD: 38,700 – 58,100

Auction Result:
HKD: 354,000