Oil on canvas

81 x 66 cm. 31 7/8 x 26 in.

Signed Geo Chann on upper left
Note：This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by George Chann’s sole daughter.

George Chann
George Chann’s career in art began in the early 1940s. Before he was influenced by American Abstract Expressionism,his works were mainly inspired by Impressionism and mostly depict Social Realist portraits of underprivileged children and the elderlies of Asian,African or Mexican descents,brimming with humanitarianism and care for his nation. Children Playing with Pets in this auction is an archetype of his works from the 1940s. It depicts two Asian children in Chinese clothing playing with their pets. Chann captures the dynamic moment with his Impressionistic brushstrokes. By using a calming and dark background,the children’s facial expressions and postures stand out in front of the viewer’s eyes. The boy is entertained by the playful pets fighting for his attention. On the other hand,the girl puts her arm around the boy’s shoulder while gazing into the distance,shows sisterly love for her little brother as she subtly yearns for their parents’ return. A delicate thread is held between the siblings that implies the biological bond and the emotional connection between them. In 1943,an article in New York Times stated,“The children’s portraits by Chann are marked by a deep perception of compassion,sensitivity and understanding of life.”
Chann returned to China in 1947,he then took a visiting instructor role at Lingnan University in Guangdong. He had frequent exchanges with the virtuoso painters and calligraphers,which had affected him to embrace his cultural roots. He began to create works that were more in line with his Chinese heritage. When American Abstract Expressionism swept the art world in 1950s,he developed his distinctive style by merging calligraphy and oil painting with precise strokes.
Breaking the Old Way,Paving a New Path
Chann created myriad complex landscape paintings inspired by his long-time interest in Chinese calligraphy. He later included ancient Chinese characters from pottery inscriptions,oracle bones and bell-cauldron scripts as well as stone inscriptions into his works. He also added gradation and textures to them by mimicking the corrosion on patina bronze and stone slabs,thus giving birth to the series Letter Variation. In the 1950s,being influenced by Abstract Expressionists like Mark Tobey’s “white writing” and Jackson Pollock’s “action painting”,he combined both historical elements and cultural sentiments to cultivate a liberating visual effect.
This sale presents a classic work from the Bronze and Stone Variation series created in the 60s. After years of experiments,Chann’s ancient inscriptions’ textures and forms entered a more mature stage. The characteristics of his works are highly inspired by Abstract Expressionism. Large calligraphic characters are pasted in pressed or rubbed layers against a light or monochromatic background,breathing an air of elegance that is both ancient and modern. This work uses a vermilion colour base,which is quite rare in the entire Bronze and Stone Variation series. The subtle gradations of the colour create a harmonious scene. Layers of paints stacked on top each other form a bas-relief texture similar to the rustiness of the bronze vessels. Unlike his other works in the 50s that encompass scattered lines and strokes,this work contains different layers of Chinese characters. In the center of the work,the Chinese characters are piled together to form a rectangular shape with a visible border. The smaller square in the bottom left corner resembles a traditional Chinese seal. By transforming Chinese calligraphy and traditional Chinese seals into abstract symbols,Chann establishes a reputation of a pure oriental abstract painter.

Price estimate:
HKD：100,000 - 150,000
USD：12,900 - 19,400

Auction Result:
HKD:118,000