Oil on canvas

100×80 cm. 39 3/8×31 1/2 in.

Signed in English and dated on bottom right
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Asia

Contemplation of Blossoming Splendour: A Celebration of Life
Dong Shaw-hwei's Tabletop Florals

"In Eastern still life painting, the ‘stillness' lies within the person - completing a still life is like a moment of solitude and contemplation, bringing profound inner peace."
——Dong Shaw-hwei

Dong Shaw-hwei graduated at the top of her class from the Painting Department of Taipei Normal University in 1984 and earned her Master's degree from the same institution eight years later. During her studies, she delved deeply into Impressionist colour techniques and the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi. By the late 1990s, she developed her strikingly personal Black Table Still Life series, featuring flowers, vessels, and wooden furniture, which exude a serene and profound sense of "unity between object and self"-a celebration of life itself. In 2017, she was invited to hold a major solo exhibition at the National Museum of History in Taipei, which received widespread acclaim and solidified her prominent position in the art world.

Tales from the Tabletop: Lingering Echoes

Dong Shaw-hwei's Still Life of Table series stems from her love for old wooden tables and flowers, blending delicate feminine lyricism with a flattened, almost graphic approach that emphasizes formal tension. The series is divided into two sub-themes: Black Table and White Table. The former conveys a sense of stability and calm, while the latter radiates brightness and lightness. Featured in this spring auction are Camellia in a Quiet Day - Safeguard Your Thoughts (Lot 6) and A Sunny Day - Pansy (Lot 7), a pair of works that, like a musical duet, ode to the beauty of life.

Tender Affection: The Harmony of Life

Camellias, a favourite flower of the artist's late mother, are a recurring motif in Dong's work. Camellia in a Quiet Day - Safeguard Your Thoughts depicts a pair of white camellias, symbolizing "humility" and also the innocence of childhood. The fully bloomed flowers, like a mother's guiding presence, watch over the budding blossoms beside them. Nearby, loquats-a traditional symbol of family happiness-add to the composition. A small sketch of a camellia on the side of the fruit is accompanied by the inscription "Safeguard Your Thoughts," a phrase from the Diamond Sutra. The artist reminisces about her mother's nurturing presence and the virtues of humility, leaving behind a comforting sketch. Except for the angular sheet of paper, the overall composition demonstrates a circular form, exuding a sense of "life harmony," while the paper's sharp edges serve as a reminder to stay true to oneself and appreciate the pure beauty of nature and life.

Warm Slanting Light: Overflowing with the Love of Seasons

A Sunny Day - Pansy focuses on blue and purple pansies, which, against the backdrop of a simple white wooden table, resemble lively musical notes, capturing the pulse of life. Pansies symbolise "thoughts, memories, and the bonds of love," echoing the red heart motif on a nearby mug, infusing the scene with a sense of life's joys. A beam of warm, slanting sunlight spills into the room from the upper right, suffusing the space with vibrant vitality. Dong Shaw-hwei's masterful handling of light and shadow, honed through her observation of the changing seasons and the subtle play of dawn and dusk, reflects her deep love for the rhythms of nature-every sunrise, every blade of grass, every moment of life!

Price estimate:
HKD 270,000 - 370,000
USD 34,600 - 47,400