Photograph Edition 17/20

119.2×239.2 cm. 46 7/8×94 1/8 in.

Signed in Chinese and Pinyin, numbered and dated on bottom right
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the artist

Rhapsody of the Gender and Identity
Ma Liuming's Iconic Photography

Chinese performance artist Ma Liuming was born in Hubei in 1969. He graduated from the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts in 1991, majoring in oil painting. In 1993, he co-founded "Beijing East Village" with Zhang Huan, exploring gender, identity, and social norms through body language, which helped spark a new wave of Chinese experimental art. Ma Liuming is best known for his Fen-Ma Liuming performance series, where he performs as an androgynous figure, often nude, around the world. In 1996, he became the first Chinese artist to present performance art internationally. His work has been showcased at prestigious venues such as MoMA, the Guggenheim Museum, the Venice Biennale, and the Tate Modern. His pieces are part of collections at the Tate Modern and M+ Museum in Hong Kong, with the latter holding over twenty of his works.

A Celebration of Androgyny

Throughout his career, Fen-Ma Liuming has been Ma's way of breaking traditional boundaries in photography and performance art, exploring creative and gender freedom. His work merges a female face with a male body, capturing the blend of "self" and "other" using remote-controlled photography. This creates a striking visual impact that challenges traditional gender roles. The name "Fen," taken from his first love, combines personal story with his androgynous image to explore themes of intimacy, repression, and desire. The auction piece from Fen-Ma Liuming series captures a 1999 performance in Geneva through 36 photographs. Ma recalls the audience's active participation until 11 PM, with some posing nude and others nervously touching him, highlighting the emotional depth of the experience.

Fen-Ma Liuming in Geneva is one of the artist's largest works to be auctioned. It features a series of black-and-white photos, each capturing a unique moment that together create a continuous scene, like a film. Ma Liuming, nude, sits in front of a screen made of four mirrors. The 36 frames focus on his interactions with the Geneva audience. Some participants sit upright, some shyly cover their faces, some kissing, and others strip naked standing with him. The mirrors reflect each group from four angles, fully displaying both subjects. The high-contrast photos highlight emotional connections rather than physical appearances. Through these unique setups and rich interactions, Ma Liuming's calmness and gender duality convey a powerful message: amidst absurdity and chaos, genuine human connections are precious.

Price estimate:
HKD 50,000 – 80,000
USD 6,400 – 10,300

Auction Result:
HKD: -