Oil on canvas

100×80 cm. 39 3/8×31 1/2 in.

Titled and signed in Chinese, dated on the reverse
EXHIBITED
16 Oct 2020 – 31 Jan 2021, Winding Time, ShanghART Gallery, Beijing

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

Awaiting for Blossom
Yan Bing's Rare Twin Apricot Flower Painting's Debut at Auction

Yan Bing, a prominent Chinese artist born in the 1980s, explores everyday objects with a profound perspective and a distinctive style. Since his graduation from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2007, he has made a significant mark on the art world. His acclaimed Earth series launched at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing in his solo exhibition Yan Bing: Temperature. Over the last twenty years, he has captivated audiences with collections like Cowhide, Potato, Mushroom, and Apricot Flower, hosting solo exhibitions at Taikang Space in Beijing, the Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum, and the Guangdong Museum of Art, earning international acclaim from collectors.

Yan Bing's Apricot Flower series, which began in 2016, showcases a delicacy not seen in his earlier, more solemn Potato and Mushroom series. Born in a small mountain village called "Apricot Bay" in Tianshui, Gansu, Yan Bing grew up where apricot blossoms covered the slopes every April, despite the lingering chill of spring in the Northwest. In 2015, a visit to Shijiezi Village in Gansu for an art project reawakened his childhood memories of these blossoms, inspiring him to create the Apricot Flower series.

Presenting a Rare Piece: Twin Apricot Blossoms

The Apricot Flower theme is rare in Yan Bing's portfolio, featuring fewer than twenty paintings. Apricot Flower No.6 is particularly notable as one of just two works depicting twin blossoms. This painting, the first from the series to be auctioned, uniquely shows two blossoms on separate branches, reaching upwards, symbolizing the beauty of togetherness.

Budding: Aspiration and Hopes for Life

In the painting, two apricot blossoms are about to bloom. The flower buds, originally the size of a fingernail, are magnified to exhibit divinity. The deep red calyxes and pure white petals create a striking and delicate contrast. Yan Bing deliberately captures this moment right before the flowers open, representing the nurturing process of life and infusing it with future hopes and dreams, reflecting his personal experiences and thoughts on becoming a father.

The Moment of Bloom: Capturing a Spiritual Essence

Against a dark backdrop that adds a classical portrait quality, the two apricot blossoms glow brightly, reminiscent of torches in the night. They tilt upwards and to the right, silently awaiting their bloom, radiating a pure and majestic energy. With each viewing, the enlarged, intricately detailed blossoms not only showcase their pristine beauty but also invite us into a vast and elevated poetic world.

Price estimate:
HKD 400,000 – 600,000
USD 51,300 – 76,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 1,320,000