Oil and acrylic on canvas

100 × 80 cm. 39 3/8 × 31 1/2 in.

Signed in English and dated on bottom right

LITERATURE
2022, Lin Bao Ling: The Light of Freedom, Soka Art, Taipei, p.130
PROVENANCE
Soka Art,Taipei
Private Collection, Asia

Using the Pen as a Sword to Slash Fences, Giving Roses to Hope
Lin Bao Ling's Rare Red Colour Creation

Lin Bao Ling was born in 1981 in Taipei, and graduated from the La Salle College of the Arts in Singapore in 2006, then went on to study ink painting at the Department of Fine Arts, National Taiwan Normal University, where he received his PhD. Since 2006, he has been working on a series of works entitled “The Nameless Little Guy”, in which the little guy is bravely exploring the various scenes set up by the artist, and is full of emotions of joy, anger and sadness. Looking back over his nearly 20-year career, only seven of Lin's works have been produced in red, two of which are being offered to collectors in this auction.

The Tender Embrace of a Bed of Roses

In Fallen Flowers II (Lot 6), completed in 2020, a little guy can be seen wandering around, having collected a branch for a pillow, with only an old woolen hat left to keep warm. His body bears the marks of white bandages, suggesting a journey or a life of hardship. His closed eyes shed unconscious tears, as if haunted by a nightmare. Above the scene, the red rose in full bloom drops its petals into a fragrant, soft bedding, which, despite the frost of the weather itself, offers gentle shelter. The artist has deliberately used light spots to depict abstract green leaves and fluttering snowflakes, showing the dynamic beauty of swaying in winter. The warm yellow morning light shining on the little guy suggests a sense of hope that light will finally come.

Slash Boundary, No Break No Gain

In 2022, Lin Bao Ling's work took a crucial turn. In contrast to the hazy beauty of his previous works, he used flat paint to create the Slash series of paintings, and deepened his experiments in sculpture. In this series, his classic protagonist, the little guy, reveals a bold, handsome and different character. In the sculpture Slash V (Lot 7), the little guy removes the gauze from his forehead to reveal his magic mark. Like a warrior, he uses his brush as a sword and strikes with a sharp chopping motion. Behind him is a frame tied to the canvas and a tube of paint, splashing a large amount of red acrylic that looks like blood. The frame is the Chinese word for “constraint”. The straight slashing of the frame presents a powerful spirit of “no break, no gain”, and a humorous and witty sense of humour that is unforgettable.

In the painting Slash II (Lot 7), the little guy is determinedly holding a sword in both hands and wielding nine cuts in a flash, using an exploding dialogue frame combined with black calligraphy to form the “Nine-Head Dragon Flash”. The canvas is sliced open at the figures, as if a powerful sword bursts from within. In this work, Lin's sharp red colour challenges the viewer's visual limits, which shows a powerful and dazzling sight. This painting got inspired by the comic book Rurouni Kenshin, Kenshin was originally an assassin, but eventually determined to fight to protect the weak, acquiring the most powerful “Nine-Head Dragon Flash”. The canvas cut on each stroke of the sword is inspired by the rebellious creation of Argentinean artist Fontana, who cut the canvas. Lin Bao Ling cleverly blends the two, internalising his own energy to break out of his comfort zone, creating a new “little guy” who cuts through restraints with gusto and embarks on a new adventure.

Price estimate:
HKD: 30,000 – 50,000
USD: 3,800 – 6,400

Auction Result:
HKD: 84,000