Bronze sculpture Edition: 3/8

88×122×71 cm. 34 5/8×48×28 in.

Signed in Chinese and pinyin, dated and numbered on the back

LITERATURE (different size and edition)
2008, Li Chen: In Search of Spiritual Space, Solo Exhibition at National Art Museum of China, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, p.181
2012, Greatness of Spirit: Li Chen Premiere Sculpture Exhibition in Taiwan, Asia Art Center, Taipei, p. 161
2019, Through the Ages—Li Chen, Asia Art Center, Taipei, p.170
PROVENANCE
Asia Art Center, Taipei
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Asia Art Center, Taipei

The Extraordinary Energy in the Unity of Heaven and Humanity
The Poetic Sentiment in Li Chen's Sculpture

"Li Chen achieves a complete manifestation of spirituality in fusing the East and the West. His art forms a cohesive duality of vivid vitality and solemn serenity."
——Fan Di'an, Former Director of the National Art Museum of China

As the first Chinese artist to hold a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale, Li Chen receives international acclaim as a master of contemporary sculpture. In 1989, he began his career by studying traditional Buddhist statues, laying a solid foundation. Since 1998, he has endeavoured to break away from tradition and develop a new personal style that is relevant to the global context and reveals great truth with simplicity at the same time. His works retain the weight of traditional sculptural art while incorporating the minimalist language and humour of modern art. Over the past twelve years, Li Chen has held solo exhibitions at major venues such as Place Vendôme in Paris, the National Art Museum of China, the Singapore Art Museum, the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei and the Aurora Art Museum in Shanghai. His works are in the collections of institutions including the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, the Olenska Foundation in Geneva and the St. Regis Singapore. In 2024, he became the first Asian artist to receive the Outstanding Achievements in the Sculptural Arts Award from the American Friends of Museums in Israel.

Riding the Wind is an outstanding piece from Li Chen's highly sought-after series, Spiritual Journey Through the Great Ether. Departing from most works in the series, which are ink-coloured, this piece has a largely reflective and silvery surface, showcasing the highly abstract design concept. The sculpture's rounded form conveys the flow of energy and is infused with Zen and Daoist meditations, becoming a particularly significant and representative work.

Soaring Through Emptiness, Free and Unbound

Riding the Wind draws inspiration from the story of Liezi, a representative figure of Daoism: Liezi rode the wind at the beginning of spring, bringing prosperity and vitality to the world. Li Chen offers a personal reinterpretation based on this legend, where he strives to integrate the wind, which is abstract and formless, with a concrete human figure. Through anthropomorphisation, he manifests the Daoist concept of "harmony between heaven and humanity." An immortal being emerges out of the abstract swirls of clouds, smiling and revelling in the boundless freedom of the world as he soars through the sky. With the technique of exaggeration, Li Chen transforms the figure's body into an adorable puffy cloud, exuding a childlike, mischievous charm. Having the figure on top of a dark mountainous form subverts the traditional sculptural composition, which usually weighs downward. The work perfectly captures the dance between man and nature through the infinitely metamorphosising clouds and the weightless figure, expressing the ultimate spiritual pursuit of freedom and transcendence.

Flying Through the Wind, with Silvery Glow

In Riding the Wind, Li Chen employs the "silver pressing" technique to coat the figure's entire body with silver, creating a light and airy visual effect for this large-scale sculpture, thereby enhancing the aesthetic of being "heavy and light at the same time." Unlike the coldness of metal sculptures, this work exudes a kind of fullness as well as warm, rounded qualities. Covering the flowing form, the sculpture's silky, silvery surface shimmers with a soft glow. Evoking bright moonlight and the flowing water in Zen meditation, the luminosity infuses the work with a sense of poetic romanticisation. This radiant silver work is like an auspicious cloud that gathers rain and dew, leisurely flying through the realm of "emptiness." With solid captivation, the work leads the viewer to wander the earth along its side and lose oneself in a reverie of emotions, making it an unforgettable experience.

Price estimate:
HKD 850,000 - 1,250,000
USD 109,000 - 160,300