Oil on canvas

220×150 cm.×2 86 5/8×59 in.×2

Signed in Chinese and dated on bottom right
EXHIBITED
24 Sep – 22 Nov 2011, Door & Lock, 01100001 Gallery, Beijing

PROVENANCE
01100001 Gallery, Beijing
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

Eternal Memory of Glorious Years
Congealed Time under Zhang Yexing's Painterly Brush

Born in Shenyang, Zhang Yexing graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in 2008, majoring in experimental film. The experience of being in theatres day and night fostered in him an interest in dramatic spaces and setups, which set the tone for his future work. After graduation, he opened a studio in Beijing. When that original space was demolished in 2010 due to urbanization, he was hit by the insignificance and helplessness of the individual in that era, as well as the chasm between ideal and reality. In his works, empty and artificial spaces with a sense of age are the main characters. In his works, empty and artificial spaces with a sense of age are the main characters. He depicts these sites of historic traces with order and rationality, yet not without theatricality and narrative tension. Zhang Yexing's works are characterized by the sentiments of reminiscing about the passing of time; it is precisely these rich emotions that make his personal memories powerful.

Since 2007, his works have been shown in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles, among others, and his unique style has attracted widespread critical acclaim. 2011, he received the "China's Emerging Painting Award." Debuting in the auction house this time, Unknown was created in the same year. It represents an important ascending period in his career and was shown in his solo exhibition, Door & Lock.

A Nostalgic Dream with Internal Warmth and Light

Unknown portrays a meandering space of an old Western-style building: the polished reddish-brown wooden staircase leads up and down, while the classic and exquisite furnishing brings out the warmth and glory of the past. Geometric structures and subtle light and shadow guide the viewer into unknown spaces: straight ahead, half a TV reveals itself through the half-open door; to the right, a doorway that lets in light, the basement stairs hidden behind the staircase, and even the landscape painting, The Empire of Light made by René Magritte on the left wall... these are all stimulating evocations. The house is brightly lit and the TV shows a flickery snowy screen, full of traces of life. Yet, there is no one present in the well-organized space. Not only is the picture depicting an unknown space, but it also arouses the viewer's concern for the residents' unknown destiny, as if one had been there like entering a dreamy theatre.

Amid the pains accompanying the rapid development of the era, Zhang Yexing stops to pay attention to those precious memories left behind by people's busy lives. He creates an absent space with a surreal quality and invites the viewer to step inside, exuding profound and subtle emotions.

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

Auction Result:
HKD: 240,000