Ink and colour on silk

118 × 160 cm. 46 1/2 × 63 in.

Signed in Chinese with an artist's stamp on bottom middle

LITERATURE
2011, Yuan Jai, My Humble House Art Gallery Co., Ltd, Taipei, p. 19, 124-125 and 258
2012, Masterpieces Review Separate Book: Yuan Jai, Shanxi Publishing Media Group, Shanxi, p. 14
2014, LIULI No. 55, Taiwan & New York, p. 12
EXHIBITED
22 Oct – 9 Nov 2011, Age Seventy as a Beginning: the Exhibition of Yuan Jai's New Works, My Humble House Art Gallery, Taipei

PROVENANCE
My Humble House Art Gallery, Taipei
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Rare Masterpiece with Intriguing Strokes
Yuan Jai's Mother and Child

Shi Tao, the legendary painter in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, once said, “The brush and ink should always follow the pace of the generation.” This saying has not only influenced many generations to come but has also become an important criterion for us to judge whether an artist is outstanding or not. The famous Taiwan calligrapher and painter Yuan Jai is the representative of the bests.

Yuan received training in traditional Chinese painting at an early age, and then spent decades in the National Palace in Taipei, where she was exposed to the relics of the past, art history, and theories. In her middle age, she devoted herself to drawing from bronze, brocade, and many other objects' shapes from the past and fusing it with the fancy Western aesthetics of “Art Nouveau” and the transfigured drawing of later Ming. Her works are all elegant and natural and are highly valued by the art world. In 2020, she was invited to exhibit at the Centre Pompidou in France and became internationally renowned. As Catherine David, the curator of the Centre Pompidou said, Yuan's works have “lush landscapes, fable-like animals, portrait elements and contemporary symbols that refer to the East and incorporate European art. They occupy an important place in Taiwan. Unlike the dualistic view, her work questions the plasticity of complex cultural narratives.”

Compelling Contemporary Interpretation

Yuan's works are always small in quantity and high in quality, and are very popular among collectors. She starts with traditional Chinese painting, but always brings the audience a new and refreshing experience with her innovative interpretations. One of her works is “Mother and Child”, a representative example. Its appearance may mirror the “Zun wine vessel in the shape of animal with metal wire and turquoise inlay” from the Warring States period, which is now in the National Palace in Taipei. The “Zun” is a wine vessel in the form of a bull, so the belly is hollow and the back has a round hole for the lid, making full use of metallic materials and turquoise, reflecting the popular inlay techniques of the Warring States period. What Yuan's work shows is a rhinoceros-like animal stands on all fours in the depth of field that no one can imagine. The silk-like colors are interwoven to form a hollowed-out body, and a miniature rhinoceros is added to the hole in the back, reflecting the contrast between size, reality, and weight. The bright and clear colors of the entire piece create a texture that is very different from that of metal, and with the childish name, the piece exudes a rich and elegant atmosphere but also has an i ndescribable innocence that will be treasured by those who appreciate it.

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,000,000 - 1,500,000
USD: 128,500 - 192,700

Auction Result:
HKD: 1,200,000