Fabric paint, resin, silk

37.5 × 46.5 cm. 14 3/4 × 18 1/4 in. (A);37.5 × 46.8 cm. 14 3/4 × 18 3/8 in. (B);37 × 46.5 cm. 14 5/8 × 18 1/4 in. (C);37.3 × 46.5 cm. 14 3/4 × 18 1/4 in. (D)

Signed in pinyin, dated and on bottom right of A, B, and C, and bottom left of D
PROVENANCE
Eslite Gallery, Taipei
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Vista for Freedom
Yu Hong's Artistic Language

"I live among crowds and have discovered many things that are both emotionally moving and indescribable. These are stories about human sensitivity, vulnerability, dignity, barriers, helplessness, sincerity, and love... They drive everyone, and as a result, various stories happen in life. They become the themes of my work."
——Yu Hong

Yu Hong, born in 1966, is an outstanding artist of the "New Generation" in China and an admired figure in the Chinese art world. At the age of 18, while studying at the Central Academy of Fine Arts Affiliated Middle School, her stunning sketch of David garnered attention. In 1986, her Self-portrait exhibited at the first Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition in Shanghai remains unmatched by many. She then entered the oil painting department of the same academy, and after completing her master's degree in 1995, she was recruited to stay and teach at her Alma Mater. In 1997, she represented China at the Venice Biennale, showcasing her remarkable talent. Her creations are always drawn from life, connecting individuals with the history of the larger society. With her sensitive heart and expressive colours, she explores the "people" in the changing Chinese society, using the most ordinary and vivid individuals to delicately and profoundly tell the stories of the current changes. Her works have been collected by institutions such as the National Art Museum of China, M+ Museum in Hong Kong, Denver Art Museum in the United States, and Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation, etc.

Witnessing Growth, Witnessing History

In the late 1990s, Yu Hong devoted most of her time to her family, but never stopped conceiving ideas. After a five-year hiatus, she released the captivating Witness to Growth. This series consists of 98 works, focusing on the growth of her daughter and significant news from each year, revealing the development of individuals and society in the modernization process. This established her artistic style. Since 2005, Yu Hong has been exploring silk painting. The gorgeous, soft, and penetrative silk, which also possesses both toughness and fragility, aligns with her understanding of women and life. She uses Western pigments to paint on silk, then solidifies it with resin, creating a unique artistic language that transforms the people, events, and things she remembers into something eternal. The group of paintings presented in this autumn auction is a representative example.

Living Like Blooming Summer Flowers

This set of four depicts four independent characters, encompassing the artist's most classic themes of Girl and Look. It is a sister piece to the monumental eight-panel work Look created in 2006, with each character in the paintings corresponding to another. The compositions are simple and clear, with a hazy atmosphere. The characters are placed in the centre of the frames, as if freezing a moment in a photograph.

Yu Hong rarely outlines contours with lines. Instead, her narrative style lies in the accumulation of brushstrokes and pigments. In the portrait Girl among the featured works, the artist skilfully uses contrasting colour blocks of dark hair, fair skin, rosy cheeks, and red lips to create a play of light and shadow. The characters have innocent gazes, reserved personalities, and a blend of softness and strength. In Red Boy, the artist uses similar colour blocks to portray depth in the facial features and voluminous hair, contrasting them with a bright lower face. The smiling, vibrant expressions of both characters, epitomize the inner freedom of Chinese women in the 21st century.

Looking Forward to the Future, Embracing the Possibilities of the Unknown

In addition to the girl figures, the "telescope" is also an important element in Yu Hong's works. This toy became popular in China after the millennium. It symbolizes progress in the era, curiosity about the distance, and a peek into the unknown. In the other two works in this collection titled Look, two children hold telescopes, concentrating their gaze. The black hair, telescopes, and clothing create a strong colour contrast with their orange-yellow skin. The main characters in the paintings carefully observe the world through the lens, even though their expressions do not reveal emotions, viewers can still sense their dedication, persistence, and longing. It also creates an interesting interaction where the observers in the painting "examine" the viewers, connecting the characters and the audience, the virtual and the real, the present and the future. Yu Hong captures seemingly insignificant moments in life with her unique painting language, freezing ordinary people and narrating real life in the grand history.

Price estimate:
HKD 50,000 – 100,000
USD 6,400 – 12,800