Oil on canvas

97 x 194 cm. 38 1/4 × 76 3/8 in.

Signed and inscribed in Chinese, dated with four artist's seals on the reverse
EXHIBITED
5 Nov – 25 Dec 2022, Cultivate the Heart through Painting of Stone, InArt Space, Tainan

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

While Stones Remain Silent, They Listen to Your Heart
Chou Chu-Wang: Befriending Stones

"His stones are not capricious, but hold the simplicity of the world, along with the lingering warmth of the scorching sun. They have the dignified clarity and elegance that moves in all directions, expanding across vast lands. It is not a loud and contemporary thought, but a revolutionary respect for heaven and earth, a return to the simple present scenery."
——Art Critic Xie Suzhen

Looking through history, "Strange stones" have always been favoured by literati and scholars. However, Taiwanese artist Chou Chu-Wang finds his deep affection for the simple and pure pebbles found on his hometown beach. Born into a farming family, he spent his childhood days lingering by the shores of Linbian in Pingtung and the banks of Jiadong River, observing the postures of stones and sands. Through the laborious tasks of collecting cobblestones, he honed his dexterity and cultivated a remarkable level of focus, which allowed him to effortlessly develop his unique interest in "painting stones."

After graduating from the National Kaohsiung Normal University's Graduate Institute of Fine Arts, he did not blindly pursue vanity. Instead, he turned "home" into an emotional source that continuously flowed through his creations, returning to the stone mill deeply rooted in his heart. Chou Chu-Wang's persistent artistic dedication has earned him recognition in the art world. He received the Kaohsiung Award from the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in 2003, the Taipei Art Award from the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in 2007, and the 21st CHIMEI Arts Award in 2009. His works are collected by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Federal Cultural and Educational Foundation, and the White Rabbit Gallery in Australia.

Stones(97 x 194cm) in this autumn auction is Chou Chu-Wang's largest work created at the present time, and it is representative of his latest solo exhibition, Cultivate the Heart through Painting the Stones. The varied and delicate stone formations in the painting not only embody Chou Chu-Wang's classic artistic vocabulary developed over nearly 20 years of dedicated research on stone painting but also represent a smoothing and spiritual essence brewed through focus and purity, worthy of appreciation and collection.

Engraving Mountains and Carving Seas, Composing the Symphony of Ages

The stone formations in Stones are composed of endless and ever-changing pebbles. Some are large and flat, comfortably lying in the sunlight, while others are small and exquisite, playing hide-and-seek in the crevice of the stone arrangement. Repeated erosion by water has polished them into smooth and shiny surfaces, revealing a bluish-grey colour in the clear fibre of sunlight while casting rich shades of grey and blue, creating visual and even tactile associations with the blue sky and sea. Chou Chu-Wang delicately captures the rough texture of the stone surface through meticulously crafted concentric circle, employing a realistic technique that transforms the pigments into the very essence of the stones themselves. With sincere and patient strokes, he portrays the marks of time, sculpted by the gentle caress of wind and the sun, showcasing the independent character of the pebbles. Some stones bear "U"-shaped traces, resembling smiling faces, while others are filled with densely patterned lines, resembling the texture of steep cliffs or the weathered faces of the elderly. The stones stacked on the right form a stone mountain, implying the grandeur of nature's magnificent peaks, while the orderly arrangement of stones on the left resembles the flow of time like a river, recording the ups and downs of life - sometimes filled with laughter and joy, sometimes bravely facing challenges, and most often finding contentment in the serene emptiness. Chou Chu-Wang's stones have transcended the simplistic portrayal of physical entities and have become a spiritual trial. He imparts a profound sense of time and vitality to these stones, treating them as intimate friends, embodying a refined, unpretentious, and exquisitely "beautiful heart."

Price estimate:
HKD 200,000 – 300,000
USD 25,600 – 38,500