Stainless steel sculpture Edition: 8/8

145.1×62.6×61.1 cm. 57 1/8×24 5/8×24 in.

Signed in Chinese, dated and numbered on the back of the right calf
EXHIBITED (different edition)
19 Sep 2009 – 31 Aug 2010, Ju Ming Living World Series – Swimming New Works Exhibition, Juming Museum, New Taipei City
1 Jun – 1 Jul 2010, Living World Series – Swimming, Landmark, Hong Kong
23 Oct – 20 Nov 2010, Ju Ming Living World Series – Swimming (Stainless Steel), Kalos Gallery, Taipei
28 Feb – 15 Jun 2014, Ju Ming – Sculpting the Living World, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

PROVENANCE
Kalos Gallery, Taipei
26 Nov 2017, Christie's Hong Kong Autumn Auction, Lot 579
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist issued by Kalos Gallery, Taipei

Rippling Waves
Dancing Life

In 1981, Ju Ming held his first solo exhibition in the West at the Max Hutchinson Gallery in New York, achieving great success and marking his entry onto the international stage. The exhibition featured his famous Taichi Series and introduced a new series named the Living World Series, inspired by the vibrant and dynamic atmosphere of New York during his stay in 1980. This series, aimed at resonating globally beyond the Eastern themes of the Taichi Series, became a significant part of his artistic career for over thirty years.

Created in 2009, Living World Series – Swimming is a classic work showcasing a woman's graceful form in stainless steel and white paint. Ju Ming humorously noted, "The subject is swimming, yet no one is actually swimming," focusing instead on dynamic poses associated with swimming. The sculpture, through its setting and the viewer's imagination, depicts a scene by the pool. In this piece, a girl stands on one slightly bent leg, with her other leg raised behind her, resembling a dancing swan and exuding ballet-like elegance. The stainless steel's smooth, polished surface mirrors the delicate texture of her skin, while the gleaming light highlights her pristine beauty.

Ju Ming boldly abandons colour, using only black and white to emphasise the figure's movement. He retains the white styrofoam from the original mould, combining their lightness and dynamism with the elegant lines and cool sheen of stainless steel to create a blend of clarity and ambiguity. This work exemplifies Ju Ming's post-2000 innovations, where modern and futuristic materials and expressions vividly convey the vitality of life, the joy of youth, and capture moments of beauty.

Price estimate:
HKD 350,000 – 550,000
USD 44,900 – 70,500

Auction Result:
HKD: -