Acrylic, epoxy resin on plywood

47 × 132 × 2.5cm. 18 1/2 × 52 × 1 in.

Titled and signed in English, dated on the reverse
PROVENANCE
27 Jul 2019, SBI Tokyo Auction, Lot 39
Important Private Collection, Asia

Freehands Out of Bounds
Meguru Yamaguchi's Power to Leap Beyond the Canvas

Born in 1984, Tokyo, Shibuya, Japanese Contemporary artist Meguru Yamaguchi takes on art with a bold statement and action, to which he creates his legendary sculptural paintings. As an artist, Yamaguchi abandons the tradition and constriction of canvas. Rather, he focuses on being a pioneer in the realm of the Contemporary. In 2007, Yamaguchi's frequent work-travel visits to New York, Brooklyn instilled endless inspirations and references. Ranging from street art graffiti, symbolisms, jazz bar music and the trends around the city, he intertwined such vibrancy with traditional Japanese calligraphy. Combined with Yamaguchi's knowledge and research into Gutai Group, he began to develop his own signature by transforming dimensionality of canvas. As the artist cuts, collage and stretches the canvas, such physical transformation also challenges brushwork that is applied on the surface. Since 2019, Yamaguchi had several global exhibitions, including exhibitions at New York GR gallery, Tokyo Tsutaya Bookstore and Sotheby's Hong Kong gallery space. With these reputable shows for public viewings, his Out of Bounds, RD, Möbius, Shadow Piece, Revisualize series also became collector's favorites. As an experimental artist, Yamaguchi has also collaborated with international brands such as Nike, Issey Miyake and Levi's to fuse the glamour of art and fashion to the world, all of which extends his influence and artistic innovations across art, culture and fashion.

The Brush Becomes Alive, the Aesthetic of Beauty Remains

RD No.6, in the spring sale is a dramatic and innovative sculptural artwork that captures the essence of brushwork and movement. The structure and tonality depicts imagery of swift thunder, water-like movement, and is reminiscent of an imagery of the dragon. In a formation that resembles the Chinese character “Zhi”, Yamaguchi interprets the word as energy of fluctuations between the universe and the supernatural in nature. Drawing from the power of cursive calligraphy to express beauty, along with sharpness of strokes, the artist presents an unrestrained result. With vertical and horizontal brushstrokes, the verticality and extension of paint in the thick brushstrokes are also preserved, creating a bold sense of multi-dimensional space. The artist also uses a classic Klein blue, and blends violet, beige, and ink, imitating the starry river and sea of reality. From another angle, it creates an illusion of a magic storm in a virtual world. In a kaleidoscope of the colours, each thin layer of resin shines and reflects. As layers harden, each brushwork encapsulates an everlasting and microcosmic world.

Yamaguchi boldly studies and transforms abstraction in traditional calligraphy, the volatility of Contemporary music, symbolism in nature and symbolism language of cultural street art. These initiative actions revitalize imagination and the aesthetic of beauty, by using his brushworks to draw and connect with the outside and beyond, and regenerates the endless flow of life's energy.

Price estimate:
HKD: 120,000 – 220,000
USD: 15,300 – 28,000

Auction Result:
HKD: 144,000