Ink and colour on paper

48×136 cm. 18 7/8×53 1/2 in.

Inscribed, signed and dated in Chinese with an artist's seal on upper right
PROVENANCE
Important Private Collection, Asia

A Utopian Blend of Past and Present
Yu Peng's Fertile Spring Landscape

Known as the "Ancient One of Today," Taiwanese ink artist Yu Peng embodies a harmonious fusion of past and present in both his art and lifestyle. His work, infused with a sense of playful subversion of tradition, brings a fresh perspective to classical landscape painting. Often seen in simple clothes and straw shoes, he enjoys tea tasting, playing the guqin, and practising qigong. Born in 1955, Yu became Taiwan's first street artist at the age of 22, honing his sketching skills. Between the 1980s and 1990s, he travelled to the U.S., Europe, and Mainland China, seeking cultural roots. His works are part of collections at prestigious institutions such as the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the M+ in Hong Kong.

The piece Spring Arrives Early, created in 1992, reflects a time when Yu had travelled extensively through China, absorbing cultural essence and returning home to develop his unique style of landscape and figures.

A Journey to the Peach Blossom Spring

"True art comes from being one with nature. When the heart is sincere, truth emerges. Truth is found in our relationship with the land, with our friends and family, and with the human, geographical, and environmental contexts around us. This sincerity is a kind of beauty."
—— Yu Peng

Yu Peng has a deep passion for traditional Chinese gardens. He purchased a one-acre plum orchard in Nantou and designed his home in Taipei to mirror classical garden styles. Embracing traditional Chinese painting's pointillistic perspective, he carefully arranges landscape elements, creating a unique order within the seemingly chaotic lines. His distinct style features tightly packed elements compressed into a single plane. Figures and animals interact harmoniously—sometimes gathered together to enjoy each other's company, other times solitary, hidden in the woods, fishing, practising martial arts, or simply gazing at the beauty of nature.

In his everyday life, Yu enjoys inviting friends and family over for wine gatherings, often fishing with his children in the garden pond. Since 1989, he has practised qigong in the mountains. These personal experiences are reflected in his art. On the right side of Spring Arrives Early, a figure resembling an immortal stands gracefully atop a tree branch, almost as if self-portraited. Living in the city, Yu yearns for the ancient ideal of unity between heaven and man, while celebrating the richness of contemporary life and human connection. In his artwork, he creates a utopia where the real and the ideal intertwine.

Price estimate:
HKD 40,000 – 80,000
USD 5,100 – 10,300