Oil on canvas

120 × 140 cm. 47 1/4 × 55 1/8 in.

Signed in Chinese and dated on bottom right; signed in Chinese, dated and titled on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

You Are the Breath of Spring
Li Qiang's Magnolia Hymn

Li Qiang, along with He Duoling and Zhang Xiaogang, all studied at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. After graduating from the institute in 1985, Li Qiang remained as a teacher, marking the era of the 85 New Wave. The Sichuan Fine Arts Institute was renowned for its "Scar Art" and "Local-themed painting." However, Li Qiang realized that these styles and subjects did not align with his own artistic aspirations. As a result, he charted a new path, drawing inspiration from the aesthetic principles of the Song dynasty, which he deeply admired. He constructed his own elegant, refined, poetic, and suspenseful style of "floral" painting. In 2015 and 2018, Li Qiang held major solo exhibitions at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo and the Long Museum in Chongqing respectively, allowing the world to experience the ethereal purity. One can catch a glimpse of this essence in the present artwork, Magnolia 2015 No.3.

Unveiling the Elixir of Sublime Beauty

"The traditional framework, or rather, the 'journey to the past,' holds great significance for me. I aspire for every move and gesture of mine to originate from this ancestral source, allowing my brush to reflect the profound spiritual realm of the ancients."
——Li Qiang

The magnolia blossoms in the transition from winter to spring, when warmth emerges amidst lingering cold. Adorned in pure white, they exude a gentle and elegant fragrance. Throughout history, literati and ink artists have held great affection for the magnolia, with Wen Zhengming and Huang Gongwang among those who depicted its beauty through painting. Since 2000, Li Qiang has chosen the "magnolia" as his subject, drawing inspiration from the past to express the present. Through the rhythmic brushstrokes, contrasting light and dark, and the interplay of emptiness and substance in Eastern artistic language, he unveils its unique radiance and enigmatic charm. Magnolia 2015 No.3 belongs to his iconic Magnolia Series. At the centre stage is a blooming white magnolia, adorned in hues of grey and brown, it entres the scene with grace. Li Qiang, residing in Chongqing, incorporates the distinct flora and rugged terrain of the Sichuan-Chongqing region into his art. The clustered magnolia blooms evoke a sense of vast mountainous spaces, emanating a subtle fragrance. Through the sparse and slanting flower branches in the lower portion of the composition, he creates an atmosphere of pouring sunlight. Against a backdrop of gradually transitioning shades of misty blue, layers of jade white intertwine, depicting the proud yet ethereal fragrance amid the lingering chill of spring. By the time he created this artwork, Li Qing had dedicated 15 years to the theme of flowers. Compared to his earlier adherence to compositional rules, he now emphasizes the release and integration of his own emotions. In the foreground, the abundant clusters of flower buds grow freely, contrasting with the strong branches and delicate petals, harmoniously balancing strength with softness. This reflects Li Qiang's "aesthetic perspective on art and life" with a worldly ideal. If one were to transform Lin Huiyin's poetic lines of "the warmth of April when a tree blossoms" and "hope" into a painting, it would be to shower the world with the fragrant warmth of the magnolia.

Price estimate:
HKD 200,000 – 400,000
USD 25,600 – 51,300