Oil on canvas

100 × 80 cm. 39 3/8 × 31 1/2 in.

Signed in Chinese and dated on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Aura Gallery, Taipei
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Strength of Character of Condensate Extraction, Nurturing Haughty Manner
Yin Zhaoyang's Rare Snow Scenes and Floral Themes

As an important representative of Chinese contemporary post-70s artists, Yin Zhaoyang initiated a generation of people to think deeply about self-image and emotional radiation with the theme of "Cruelty of Youth". With the development of the Square, Myth and Dazzle series, Yin Zhaoyang gradually constructs his "psychological field" painting, which is full of strong personal characteristics. He continues to question individual spiritual freedom and extends this exploration to important breakthroughs in landscape and still-life subjects after 2007.

After breaking away from a decade of realistic creation, Yin Zhaoyang has retraced the millennium of oriental landscapes that has endured for a thousand years since 2007. He combines the power and vitality of previous works with a contemporary visual language and a personal attempt to depict the spiritual landscapes of mountains and rivers, flowers and colour. Completed in 2015, Snow Valley (Lot 103) breaks away from the usual portrayal of Mount Song and presents a unique frozen snowscape. It is one of only two works that appeared in the market out of his lifelong collection of less than 30 "snowscape" themed works. Vase of Flower (Lot 102) in 2016 is one of only three rare flower-themed representatives, showcasing his unique personal style of oil painting texture since 2010.

Snowy Splendor, the Enchanting Grandeur of Sacred Mount's Snow Valley

Yin Zhaoyang once said, "The unique bright texture of Mount Song has greatly shaken me, and its ancient and firm temperament made me reexamine the reasons for this attraction." In this artwork Snow Valley, he uses layers of thick oil paint and vertical brushstrokes that resemble falling snow to represent the ancient brushwork technique. This creates vivid dimensions of mountains and rocks, fully demonstrating Yin Zhaoyang's exquisite presentation of "sense of place." Within the snow valley, colours are not limited to pure whiteness, but vaguely reveal an infinite evolution of lemon yellow, sapphire blue, ink green, and blush orange. When combined with white pigments, it gives rise to a multi-dimensional illusion of rainbow-like brilliance, resembling the supreme radiance of a rainbow shining on a sacred mountain. The underlying rocks and mountains exhibit a resolute texture that has weathered storms, establishing a majestic space of both quality and colour.

In the background, that lasting dawn red colour, forever present in Yin Zhaoyang's works, is also hidden in the presence or absence of mountains. Under the reflection of sunlight, it adds a touch of gentleness. Looking back at Mount Song with a blanket of snow, it stands with an unchanged majestic posture, as if trying to compete with the heavens for height. Under Yin Zhaoyang's brush, the poetic meaning of traditional landscape is sublimated into a powerful visual shock. With the solemnity of looking up to high mountains, it has traversed countless mountains and rivers. With a colourful banquet, it returns the gaze of our eyes. In this icy and snowy world of snake-like mountain dancing, it resonates with the poetry of clear valley echoes, and radiates with a lofty power.

Born Like a Summer Flower, a Spiritual Brush Surpasses the Soul

Vincent van Gogh to Yin Zhaoyang is like the spiritual power of Mount Song. Since the beginning of his creation in 1995, when he created still life in a post-impressionist, expressionist style, to the Van Gogh Series launched after 2020, Yin Zhaoyang has evolved from his early realistic expressions to his current unbridled and intense oil expressions in the past twenty years. This auction showcases his extremely rare still life work Vase of Flower, which fully demonstrates the artistic achievements of the past twenty years through vibrant layers of oil paint, scraping, and fusion.

In the painting, the abundant colours and dynamic brushstrokes are repeatedly stacked on the horizontal and vertical axes, bursting out with a vigorous life force. Vermilion red, vivid orange, and delicate pink-white intertwined, like various colourful flowers, embellished with the ink-green colour of leaves. The ochre base contrasts with the warmth and vibrancy of the room and confines it within a blue and white porcelain vase. In the symphony of colours and textures, the work seems to have the layering and scraping sensation of German artist Gerhard Richter, and it presents a transcendent temperament from the Orient, emerging as a self-portrait of Vincent van Gogh's spirit, just like the sunflowers.

Yin Zhaoyang, with the prominent colours of flowers, establishes his most proud spatial field force. The intense orange-red colour in the painting is precisely the vital colour that Yin Zhaoyang consistently uses in his art, like the blood of the artistic soul surging from deep within, and ultimately transcending the image itself, illuminating the ultimate brilliance of the soul in the blink of an eye.

Price estimate:
HKD 180,000 – 280,000
USD 23,100 – 35,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 300,000