Pencil, paper, document

97 × 219 cm. 38 1/4 × 86 1/4 in.(artwork); 42 × 29.7cm. 16 1/2 × 11 3/4in.(document)

LITERATURE
2013, Shi Jin-Hua, Mind Set Art Center, Taipei, p.358-359
2018, Lines: Shi Jin Hua's Contemporary Religious Art, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, p.142-145
EXHIBITED
7 Oct 2017 – 1 Jan 2018, Lines: Shi Jin Hua's Contemporary Religious Art, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly by present private important Asian collector from the artist

This work is accompanied by an explanation document and a certificate of authenticity issued and signed by the artist

The Way of Pilgrimage is Endless
The First Work of Shi Jin-Hua's ‘Holy Mountain' Pen Walking Appeared

Shi Jin-Hua is a well-known Asian performance artist, who was born in Taiwan in 1964 and received a Master of Arts from the University of California, Irvine in 1996. He suffered from juvenile diabetes at the age of 17, and he began to experiment with his body during daily medical monitoring. Through the practice of faith-like devotion and willpower, which includes measuring, recording, and walking, the deep understanding and thought of life turned into the aura of art and a medium of expression.

In his iconic series ‘Pen Walking', he employed scribbles of a pen to create a metaphor about the experience of ‘a person's lifetime', creating a very powerful landscape full of vitality, which received accolades worldwide. Since its launch in 1994, the ‘Pen Walking' series has won the ‘Taipei Fine Arts Award' and the ‘Kaohsiung Award' over the course of 20 years. In recent years, it has been exhibited at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Shanghai Mingyuan Art Museum, the Yokohama Civic Art Gallery, and more. The series has also been highly recognized by institutions, such as the Kaohsiung Museum of Art, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and the White Rabbit Museum of Australia.

Walking around the Mountain with the Spiritual Pen

In Shi Jin-Hua's Pen Walking series, the ‘Around Mount Gang Rinpoche' series is a particularly special one. This auction, ‘Pen Walking #51' is the opening piece of the series and was exhibited during an important solo exhibition at the Kaohsiung Museum of Art. For the first time, this piece takes the holy mountain of Mount Gang Rinpoche as a reference, simulating the behavior of ‘turning the mountain' by believers through the act of ‘pen walking'. Mount Gang Rinpoche, located in the west of Tibet, is a ‘sacred mountain' in the eyes of Tibetan Buddhism and Hindus. Every year, believers from all over the world walking around the mountain towards the peak step by step, to cleanse the soul and gain great wisdom.

In this work, the artist uses powerful and convicted brushstrokes to depict the ruggedness and dangers of the road through zigzag strokes. The swirling lines follow the direction of the brush, endless and full of tension. The sharpened pencil shavings are symbolically affixed to it, representing the mark of life's journey and existence, presenting a pluralistic form of both concrete and imagery in abstraction. The pencil marks the way of life with the achievements accumulated by the body. Endurance, the strength of mind, and willingness to create power and spirit until the one climbs the peak and overlooks the deeds of life. After the journey, the mountain reaches an end, and the life of the pen also comes to an end. In the lower right corner, the body of the pen is placed at the end, witnessing a moving pilgrimage in life and reminding us of a dream. On the road of life, we should work hard for our ideals and leave without any regrets. On the side of work, the accompanying explanatory document records this life situation is forged by body and mind. Every spontaneous stroke mimics every step the artist takes in the land of the holy mountain. Through meditation, one can break through the limitations of the body and reach the lofty place in the heart.

Price estimate:
HKD: 160,000 - 220,000
USD: 20,600 - 28,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 228,000