Film on Inkjet Print Epson Art Paper Edition: 2/8

48 × 80 cm. 18 7/8 × 31 1/2 in.

Titled in Chinese, signed in English, dated and numbered on bottom left; stamped with an artist's seal on bottom right

LITERATURE
1990, Paintings by Wu Guanzhong, Sichuan Art Publishing House, Chengdu, front cover
1990, Odyssey Wu Guanzhong , Plum Blossoms (Int'l) Ltd, Hong Kong, front cover
EXHIBITED (different sized edition)
2017, Light and Shadow, TAS Theatre, Singapore
11 Aug 2020 – 3 Jan 2021, Portraitures of Wu Guanzhong by Chua Soo Bin, Tsinghua University Art Museum, Beijing

PROVENANCE
24 Jun 2009, Hosane Shanghai Spring Auction, Lot 109
Acquired directly by present private important Asian collector from the above

The Miracle of Life in Full Bloom
Wu Guanzhong in the eyes of Chua Soo Bin

In February 1988, Wu Guanzhong visited the "Wu Guanzhong Painting Exhibition" held by the National Museum of Singapore for the first time. During the visit, Chua Soo Bin accompanied him the entire way, acting as an important guide for this overseas trip. He later produced a series of photographs with Wu Guanzhong as the theme. Chua Soo Bin is not only a reputable Singaporean photographer, but also considered a reputable art dealer; not only does he have close relationships with Wu Guanzhong , but is also one of the first gallerists to introduce contemporary artists such as Zhang Xiaogang and Zhou Chunya overseas, witnessing the development and take-off of Chinese contemporary art history.

During Wu's visit to Singapore, Chua Soo Bin drew from Wu Guanzhong's Line and Dot theory as the subject of his photography, capturing a very elderly Wu Guanzhong holding six flashlights of different colors in the dark. Resembling the brushstrokes of an abstract painting, the result is the manifestation of collaboration between Wu Guanzhong and Chua Soo Bin. The photo was taken with a 15-minute exposure, which was very rare for photography in 1988.

In the painting, vibrant stripes of red, green, and orange lines dash across a dark sky, intertwining with flame-like "dots" to form a space filled with tension. Wu Guanzhong looks intently at the changes in front of him, completely unfazed by the flickering light caused by the long exposure. The flying lines and dots on black film are reminiscent of fireworks interconnected in the night sky, a reflection of Wu Guanzhong's relaxed demeanor and abundant creative energy. Line and Dot was greatly appreciated by Wu Guanzhong after its completion, and later appeared as covers and illustrations in many of his albums and collections, such as Odyssey Wu Guanzhong Paintings by Wu Guanzhong and so on.

Price estimate:
HKD: 40,000 - 80,000
USD: 5,200 - 10,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 48,000