Stainless steel, bearing, sculpture Edition: 2/6

193 × 156 × 156 cm.76 × 61 3/8 × 61 3/8 in.

Signed in Chinese, dated and numbered on the neck
EXHIBITED (different editions)
24 Jul – 1 Sep 2017, Reactionary: Liang Jen Hung’s Exhibition, Tai Shin Financial Tower, Taipei
2 Jan 2021 until now, Permanent exhibition, Tainan Public Library (New Main Library), Tainan

PROVENANCE
Lotus Art Gallery, Kaohsiung
Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Kaohsiung Lotus Art Gallery signed by the artist

Note: Maximum range of rotation 185 cm, static state width 156 cm, static state height 193 cm.

Hardness with Softness Makes One Unbreakable
Liang Jen-Hung’s Powered Immortal Tree

Born in 1957 in Tainan, Liang Jen-Hung graduated from the Institute of Plastic Arts, National Tainan Academy of Arts in 2002. Liang was dedicated to creating powered mechanical installations during the study period. He often adopted stainless steel, copper, and other hard materials, processed with precise industrial turning tools and punches. He then repeatedly polished until the surface of the sculptures became as delicate and round as water drops. In Liang’s works, every object constituting the main body is interlinked and able to rotate with manpower or natural wind power, perfectly embodying his aesthetics of power. In 2001, Liang was bestowed with the Taipei Fine Arts Award and Kaohsiung Fine Arts Award for his series of works, Rituals of Being, His works are also collected by Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Tainan Public Library, ALIEN Art Centre, Marriott Hotel and other institutions. In 2019, China Guardian Hong Kong was the first to bring Liang’s series of works Transevolution, and since then, his works have often been auctioned at a higher price than estimated. For this spring auction, we will first bring his YING 2C1012 as the series representative for the collectors.

Dancing in the Rhythm of Tempering Into Steel, Shining Upon Everything as Tree of Life

Cast in stainless steel, Liang’s YING 2C1012 stands like a world tree with a robust upward trunk and symmetrical branches. At the top of the main body, the lush flowers, leaves, and branches seem to bear fruits and cluster into a thriving canopy. Comparatively, the bottom of the sculpture extends in the form of a pair of entangling feet which endows it with an anthropomorphic expression reminiscent of a naughty elf with its feet crossing, standing vigorously on the earth and lifting the flourishing branches. There is another edition of the work, which was once collected and displayed by Tainan Public Library, accompanying several readers and visitors along with the fragrance of books. The work embodies the organic combination of machine and life, human and nature, as the crystallization of the artist’s wisdom and philosophies.

Liang Jen-Hung defines it as “natural power art” and considers that it is the “movement” that constitutes the core of the universe, transforming philosophy into his characteristic artistic language. The pattern of “ㄧㄥˋ” in YING 2C1012 coming in the form of pinyin suggests three meanings in the exact pronunciation of “ying” in Chinese: “response”, “reflection ”, and “toughness ”. For the first term, it refers to the sculpture moving with the viewers’ actions as a “response”. The work seems still, while it turns out that a gentle pushing will trigger a chain of reaction and make it dance in different traces, just as the change of seasons and the movement of celestial bodies. The reflection part signifies the steel’s mirror surface, which reflects the surrounding objects, enabling the viewers to observe the environment while appreciating the work. Also, the audience may notice that their reflections have become a part of the work. In that way, the spectators not only participate in the dynamic universe in the artist’s perception but also get involved in the process of self-interrogation. The last feature, “toughness”, endowed by the steel material, however, produces the qualities of softness, plasticity, and ethereality. Apart from his superb sculptural skills, more importantly, the sculpture delivers Liang’s creative interpretations of mediums and materials: applying tempered steel to portray the rhythm of life with external tenderness and interior tenacity.

Price estimate:
HKD: 320,000 - 450,000
USD: 40,800 - 57,300

Auction Result:
HKD: --