Ink, cotton paper, woodblock prints in accordion-bound book, wooden box Edition: 10/99

Wooden box: 41.5×25.5×4.5 cm. 16 3/8×10×1 3/4 in. Album leaf: 28.8×22.8 cm.×36 11 3/8×9 in.×36

Signed and titled in square word on the cover; titled, signed and sealed in square word on the first inner page; numbered, titled, signed and sealed in square word on the last inner page
PROVENANCE
Eslite Gallery, Taipei
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Deconstructing and Reshaping Cultural Symphony:
Xu Bing's Labyrinth of Words

"Xu Bing is an artist who transcends cultural boundaries, transforming Eastern and Western cultures and using visual language to express ideas and real-world issues."
—Okwui Enwezor, Nigerian Curator

Xu Bing, born in 1955 in Chongqing and raised in Beijing, is a renowned Chinese contemporary conceptual artist. His parents were professors at Peking University, fostering his lifelong connection with words from an early age. In 1977, he entered the Central Academy of Fine Arts' printmaking department, winning first prize in a school competition. His woodblock prints were exhibited at the Louvre and the British Museum before his graduation and were later collected by the National Art Museum of China.

In 1990, Xu was invited to the United States, where he received the MacArthur Fellowship in 1999. Over 18 years in the U.S., his works were showcased at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. In 2008, he returned to his alma mater as vice president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. In 2011, he became the first Chinese contemporary artist to hold a solo exhibition at the British Museum.

Xu Bing's works often feature visually striking block characters, exploring the complex relationships between language and cultural exchange. His innovative use of text has gained international acclaim, with his works collected by institutions such as the Harvard Art Museum, the Queensland Art Gallery, and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum.

From Imitation to Enlightenment: Reflections of You and Me

The presented work, Introduction to Square Word Calligraphy, originates from the 1993 Square Word Calligraphy series. Xu Bing reconfigured the 26 English letters using the structure of Chinese characters, arranging them in the style of a traditional calligraphy manual. This approach retains the strokes and structure of Chinese calligraphy while creating a "third language" between Chinese and English. Viewers experience confusion to enlightenment, reflecting the artist's deep thoughts on language and culture and his unique response to cross-cultural exchange, emphasizing the inherent flexibility of language and the interconnectedness of cultures.

This piece is presented as a traditional calligraphy album, systematically introducing aspects of calligraphy such as grinding ink, holding the brush, stroke techniques, and character structure, concluding with traditional black-background calligraphy sheets. It allows English readers to understand and imitate Chinese calligraphy. To aid comprehension and "character recognition," Xu Bing held "literacy classes" from 1994 to 1996, where participants immersed themselves in writing English with an Eastern calligraphic approach. The instructional book from these classes is the work now on display, representing a significant crystallization of the artist's ideas and artistic language.

Price estimate:
HKD 150,000 – 250,000
USD 19,200 – 32,100

Auction Result:
HKD: 144,000