Bronze Sculpture Edition: 7/8

54 × 56 × 24 cm. 21 1/4 × 22 × 9 1/2 in.

Signed in English, numbered, credited and dated on the base

LITERATURE
1995, P.M. Hsiung: Cutting of Space and Welding of Time, Fairmate Art Gallery, Taipei, p.14-15
1999, An Odyssey Abroad and Back – Hsiung Ping-ming’s Art, National Museum of History, Taipei, p. 26-27 (different edition)
1999, Contemporary Chinese Art Collection 6: Hsiung Ping-Ming, Mountain Art Museum, Kaohsiung, p. 57 (different edition)
EXHIBITED
9 – 31 Dec 1995, P.M. Hsiung: Cutting of Space and Welding of Time, Fairmate Art Gallery, Taipei
15 Oct – 7 Nov 1999, An Odyssey Abroad and Back – Hsiung Ping-ming’s Art, National Museum of History, Taipei (different edition)
1 – 30 May 2010, Perfection・Serenity・Substance・Unrestraint・ Chen Hsia-Yu, Hsiung Ping-Ming, Hsia Yan Sculpture Exhibition, Eslite Gallery, Taipei (different edition)
20 Sep – 1 Nov 2014, Hsiung Ping-Ming: A Retrospective, Main Trend Gallery, Taipei (different edition)
23 Nov – 15 Dec 2019, The Journey of Defining Yourself – Art Exhibition of Hsiung Ping-Ming, National Art Museum of China, Beijing (different edition)

PROVENANCE
Farmate Art Gallery, Taipei
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the artist

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist issued by Fairmate Art Gallery, Taipei

Forging the Unyielding Face of Reality and Spirit:
Hsiung Ping-Ming’s Testament to the Lofty Spirit of a War Horse - Standing Horse

In 1947, Hsiung Ping-Ming attended the Department of Philosophy at the University de Paris. However, living in the art capital of the world, he was soon enchanted by the romantic sculptures of Auguste Rodin and decided to leave his philosophical studies behind, choosing instead to study in the workshop of sculpture Marcel Gimond. After working tirelessly, Hsiung was ingeniously able to combine the inner reflections of philosophy with the outward appearance of art in his sculptures, which became reflections of unparalleled creativity.

From his early following of Rodin to the creation of his first geometric iron sculpture Howling Wolf in 1954, Hsiung gradually embraced the abstract forms of modern sculpture, though his reflections on the will to existence in life never stopped: “Certainly, standing before Egyptian and Greek sculptures, before Rodin and Antoine Bourdelle, I couldn’t help but be moved, but when I saw Han Dynasty stone bulls and stone horses, Northern Wei Dynasty Buddhas and cemetery lions from the Southern Dynasties my soul was stirred in an altogether different way, because my roots are still in China, that is my home”. As a result, from 1960 Hsiung began to focus on Eastern oxen, camels and standing horses as vehicles to showcase the importance of “existentialist” philosophy. Through the process of repetitive kneading and shaping with his fingers he created works that were at once rounded and steely, classical and modern, as he moved onto a new artistic plane.

Jagged Bones, Fulsome Soul

The bronze sculpture Standing Horse was created from 1959-1966 and took the artist seven years to complete. In this piece, Hsiung Ping-Ming creates a slender but tough looking war horse. The beast is stood upright, its head held high, chest puffed out and short tail extended horizontally, with no saddle or bridle, as if imbued with free will.

The circular, hollowed out mouth of the horse ingeniously creates an open-work area that changes the relationship reminiscent of the way in which Henry Moore breaks through static external forms, extending between reality and virtuality in an allusion to a substantial inner world. As we view the firm and unyielding body of the horse covered with kneading marks, it is as if despite experiencing the vicissitudes of life this old war horse still possesses the devoted heart of an old steed with a thousand li in its legs.

If we look carefully at the body of the horse, the two ends of the animal are completely different. The right side is rounded and plump and brings to mind the evenly proportioned sturdy animals of Tang tri-coloured glaze pottery. In contrast, the left of the horse is lean and shows the animal as skin and bones, worn down by the passing of years. The work appears to contrast reality and spirit, imbuing this simple but proudly independent old war horse with a sense of resolution and vigor. Hsiung Ping-Ming crafts the spirit of a war horse from Eastern antiquity by blending the compact nature and change inherent in Western art with the atmosphere and refinement of Eastern tradition. Moreover, in addressing this inquiry into existential will, the artist seemingly asserts that regardless how decrepit the body becomes the spirit is forever full and rich.

Price estimate:
HKD: 600,000 – 800,000
USD: 76,400 – 101,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 1,320,000