Oil on canvas

60×50 cm. 23 5/8×19 3/4 in.

Signed in Chinese and English and dated on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Licence Art Gallery, Tainan
Important Private Collection, Asia

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Licence Art Collery, Tainan

When Geometric Abstraction Meets Eastern Poetic Sentiment
The Path of Balance by Ho Kan

Ho Kan is a pioneer of contemporary Chinese geometric abstract art. Born into a scholarly family in Nanjing, he was immersed in the study of calligraphy and ink painting from a young age. In 1950, he enrolled in the Department of Art at Taipei Teacher's School, and the following year, he became a disciple of Lee Chun-Shan, setting his sights on an artistic career. In 1957, together with Hsia Yang, Hsiao Chin, and others, he founded the Ton Fan Group, becoming one of the key figures in the "Modernist Art Movement in Taiwan."

In 1964, Ho Kan moved to Milan, and since then he spent more than half a century living in Italy. During this time, he developed a unique style that combined hard-edge abstraction with elements of Eastern calligraphy and seal engraving, gaining international recognition. In 1965, he was selected for the Pittura Moderna Cinese exhibition in Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome. In 1967, he exhibited alongside masters such as Lucio Fontana at Museo Internazionale d'Arte Contemporanea, Italy. His works have been collected by prestigious institutions, including the Berkeley Art Museum in California, the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome, the Museo Internazionale d'Arte Contemporanea in Florence, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts. Untitled, presented here, is one of his masterpieces from his time in Italy.

Endless Energy Derived from Nature

Ho Kang's time in Milan broadened his artistic perspective. While he gained an understanding of Western artistic language, he also deeply explored the roots of Eastern art, incorporating the spiritual elements of Taoism and Zen Buddhism into his work. In Untitled, he uses water blue and lake green as the main colours with calming power and complements these colours by contrasting brown hues that form triangles and diamonds. Ultimately, he creates a hexagon at the centre of the composition. Whether viewed horizontally or vertically, the work presents a sense of symmetry, embodying Taoist philosophy's pursuit of balance in the cosmos.

The piece is rich in minimalist aesthetics: the geometric shapes, white dots, and slanted lines are based on the basic structure of Chinese characters, transforming into the simplest of lines. Yet, within its simplicity, the painting contains profound meaning. The hexagon, derived from natural structures symbolizes "stability." In Eastern culture, it also has connotations of wealth and prosperity due to its phonetic resemblance to the word "lu" ( 祿 ). In the West, the hexagon represents balance and harmony. At the centre, two opposing triangles combine to form a figure resembling the number "8" in the shape of an hourglass, symbolizing infinity. Ho Kang takes this powerful figure as the core, showing firm strength in balanced order.

Price estimate:
HKD 22,000 - 42,000
USD 2,800 - 5,400