Watercolour on paper

75.5 x 52.5 cm. 29 3/4 x 20 5/8 in.

Signed in Chinese and dated 1974 on lower left

Shiy De Jinn
Born in Sichuan,China in 1923,Shiy Dejinn started to learn how to paint from the age of five,and graduated from China Academy of Art in Hangzhou later. After moving to Taiwan,he briefly taught at Taiwan Provincial Chiayi High School. He had lived in Paris for a couple of years before moving back to Taiwan in 1966,and by then he had travelled around Europe and USA,where he was impacted by contemporary art and Pop Art movement. Shiy tried to incorporate traditional culture into contemporary art. As one of Lin Fengmian’s five best students and a significant contemporary artist in Taiwan,the ‘Vincent van Gogh of Taiwan’ is noted for his watercolour painting with a distinctive and lyrical style. In his prime years,he supported the abstract art movement,and strived to combine the characteristics of oriental ink painting and occidental paintings. Regarded as Taiwanese art pioneer in the 1970s,Shiy’s paintings show his insight and understanding of nature,as well as Taiwan’s local culture. Shiy’s artistic themes vary,including abstract painting,portraiture,still life,landscape,floral painting and so on.
This work Lanscape and Amaryllis is a unique double-sided painting depicting two important themes of Shiy - landscape and flowers. It was created in 1974,illustrating sub-tropical scenery. The varying layers of colours extend the scenery,while the empty space in the background completes the whole scenery. The painting features layers of different colours,and viewers are likely to fix their gaze in the middle at first,where the deep green forests present a blurry,obscure atmosphere. His approach is consistent with the style of Chinese ink painting,and such has been the style of Shiy changed since 1969. “My landscape painting is created with Western watercolour materials yet it conveys Oriental values,and reinterprets the nature. Thus my colours have playful features of Chinese ink painting with radiating freshness and life.’ Shiy once said.
The back of this lot presents blossoming amaryllises,which signifies aloofness as it blossoms amidst loneliness. The form of the amaryllis is similar to the narcissus,resembling the Narcissus in ancient Greek Mythology. Narcissus has been a favourite theme of Shiy. Apart from preference for its form,Shiy subtly implies his homosexuality nature through the depiction of the flower. Compared with the pale colour of the narcissus,Shiy prefers sharp colours,especially red. The bright red petals of the amaryllis and its form are associated with Boy in Red,one of Shiy’s classic works in the 1960s. The amaryllises stand tall and proud with the passion of a tropical flower,resembling the perfect image in Shiy’s mind.
Compared to the 1960s,Shiy painted far less portraits in the 1970s. Instead,there were more Taiwanese landscapes and floral paintings. The flowers in this painting are either blossoming or withering,signifying the passing of time. The sprigs of flowers are depicted with multiple layers of gradual-changing green colours. While the sprigs visually serve as the base of the whole painting,the empty space at the background became an elegant touch. Through this piece of work,one could admire Shiy’s unique artistic style while relating to his different emotions.

Price estimate:
HKD：220,000 - 320,000
USD：28,400 - 41,300

Auction Result:
HKD: --