Oil on canvas

66.5 x 82.5cm.26 1/8 x 32 1/2 in.

Signed in Chinese and English，dated 96 on the lower right； signed，dated and titled on the reverse.

LITERATURE CAAC Inflight Magazine，No.100，Issue 6，1999，p101-102

PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist’s relative；

Formerly the Property of Mr.Maryn Varbanov & Ms. Huai-Kuei Song Collection.

“Doux Avenir”，created by Chu Teh-Chun in 1996，resembles a shimmering blue ray of light descending from the dark universe，with intense lighting and strong power that instantly crash the space，burning the darkness into radiant blue. The merging background and rotating brushes remind one of the works by William Turner during his peak time，which vividly expressed the prestige and majesty of nature. “Doux Avenir” calls for our spirit to the infinitely remote world through the clear blue color and trembling of belief. The beam divided blue into dark and light that resemble sky and ocean with thin and thick colors forming vivid visual presentation. There is also small amount of doted brown and yellow among the overall blue color，leading to contrast among various sizes of color area. The colors activate the visual center of the canvas，and incubate traces of life in a blue world.

“Doux Avenir” was collected by Mr. and Ms. Varbanov for years，who have known Chu Teh-Chun deeply. Mr. Maryn Varbanov is French who studied painting in China and fell in love with Madam Song Huai-Kuei. It became the first case of foreign marriage since the founding of New China with the special permission granted by Zhou Enlai. His whole family moved to Paris，France in 1975 and returned to China later，becoming outstanding talents. Mr. Maryn Varbanov was employed by China Academy of Art and awakened the sleeping Chinese art from the stand of borderless arts. The academic ambience was active back then，the establishment of Varbanov Tapestry Research Centre，its avant-garde interdisciplinary mechanism and the major achievement and international impact achieved in Lausanne，Switzerland，have contributed to major enlightenment for Chinese art and art education. Varbanov is known as the “Mentor for Chinese Contemporary Tapestry Art.”

Madam Song Huai-Kuei is a legendary woman who was the symbol of intelligence，grace and fashion. She was known for many identifies such as tapestry artist，first Chinese stylist，successfully social activist，and entrepreneur. She was the chief representative for Pierre Cardin，first French fashion brand introduced into China. She was also the general manager of ”Maxim’s，” which was the first Sino-French joint venture restaurant. This restaurant not only became the promotor of French cuisine but also the shelter for Chinese rock and roll music. The couple made outstanding contribution by not only promoting the practice of contemporary art but also collecting artworks themselves. The collection of this work not only witnessed the friendship between Chu Teh-Chun and the couple but also signified the artistry and taste of this work.

Price estimate:
HKD：1,500,000 - 2,000,000
USD：193,500 - 258,100

Auction Result:
HKD : 2,360,000