Oil on canvas

80 × 64.5 cm. 31 1/2 × 25 3/8 in.

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

I Am Content With My Own Universe Dong Shaw-Hwei’s Vision
After graduating with a Fine Arts degree in 1992, Dong Shaw-Hwei traveled to Germany to practice observational painting. She inherited her painting style from the impressionists, focusing on the depiction of light and shadow, as well as the scene before him. Remarkably, after years of working as a professional painter, she returned to pursue a Master’s degree at the Fine Arts Institute of the National Taiwan Normal University. During her time there, she focused on the relationship between the Daoist author Zhuangzi’s thoughts and art, resulting in the aesthetic meaning and energy of his thoughts deeply rooted in her heart and reflected into her art. In 2017, her large-scale solo exhibition at the National Gallery of the National Museum of History in Taipei In Courtyard, Recollecting Precious Moments of Life featured a series of works that span over 20 years. Since 2005, she has been creating the Black Table Still Life series, presenting her preference for the quiet and simple substance of old wooden tables and her love for flowers. After 2016, she developed the White Table series, which was created under a similar basis. In this auction, we present Dong’s masterpiece Peaceful Time-Phalaenopsis (Lot 91) from her Black Table Still Life series, as well as Fresh and Cozy-Pink Camellia (Lot92) from her White Table series, which will be auctioned for the very first time.
Smell the Flowers
In Peaceful Time-Phalaenopsis, Dong uses a black round wooden table as the center of the picture, with the rustic lines of the wood clearly visible. There are four items on the table: a white phalaenopsis plant that is obliquely planted in a flowerpot, a sky celadon bowl, a white porcelain teacup, and a postcard with a picture of flowers and birds. Seven phalaenopsis bloom in dense leaves, and the white petals mimic the wings of butterflies, revealing the flower’s yellow core. The teapot and teacups are all glazed and half full of crystal-clear tea. The delicate lines and simple colors of the cup and its contents reflect the owner’s introverted character and preference for keeping a low profile. On the postcard, the spring magpie flies onto the branch and stands alone, looking at the phalaenopsis on the table. The light branches and leaves in the painting conceal the red flowers at the corner of the postcard. The rustic wooden table forms a small but abundant and fragrant world filled with flowers, birds, tea, and paintings; All of which are independent yet complement each other, reflecting Dong’s inner character and abundant spiritual world.
Flower Picking in the Spring Evening
In Fresh and Cozy-Pink Camellia from Dong’s White Table series, the artist deliberately uses non-standard lines to depict a square wooden table on, which a beautiful pink camellia is placed. The flower is already in full bloom among the scattered branches, and the overlapping petals form a round shape with an elegant and delicate pink color. If one looks closely, then one would be able to see one or two tiny stamens quietly poking their heads out among the green leaves. The half-full teacup, placed on the right, often appears in Dong’s paintings as a very clear liquid, representing the artist’s portrayal of the ‘things I am mindful of’ through the perspective of sprouting buds and blooming flowers through day and night, appreciating the cycle of life. The painting method of the flowers, leaves, and branches in Fresh and Cozy-Pink Camellia mimics traditional Chinese painting, with the white table lightening the entire image and adding a contemporary flair. With the fusion of these two aesthetics, the painting echoes the ‘Chinese and Western integration, rigidity and softness’ characteristics in a modern painting.

Price estimate:
HKD: 120,000 - 180,000
USD: 15,400 - 23,100

Auction Result:
HKD: 264,000