HONG KONG.- Tiancheng International Autumn Auctions 2013 – Fine Chinese Paintings & Modern and Contemporary Art concluded successfully tonight, realising HK$11,220,620/ US$1,442,240. Attended by a crowd of art lovers, the sale maintained a keen atmosphere throughout on the telephone and the floor.
The two-hour Modern and Contemporary sale was led by lot 217, Ai Xuan’s Distant Cloud. Beginning at HK$120,000, the work kindled a fierce round of 41 bids within 5 minutes, before selling to a telephone bidder for HK$ 1,062,000/ US$136,500, over 5 times its estimate (Est. HK$ 200,000 – 300,000/ US$ 25,800 – 38,700*). Distant Cloud is one of the ink paintings that Ai began releasing in recent years, and is an iconic piece in his Tibet Series. Ai has successfully created a mellow sense of sorrow in the current piece, portraying life as increasingly fragile yet ever so precious. Contrasting man and nature, he conveys the constant fight and tribulations of reality, among which he seeks the value of existence and brings out the beauty in our primitive struggle and sadness. The piece retains the detailing and realism that are key to oil paintings, whilst also pursuing the linear and smudging effects of ink painting. The result is a more vivid and ethereal visual experience, making this a notable piece of ink work in recent years. The piece is authenticated by the artist himself, making it a rare find.
In Fine Chinese Paintings auction, lot 51, Feng Zikai’s Home by the River was aggressively pursued by two room bidders and four telephone bidders. Beginning at HK$170,000, the battle last for 56 bids before eventually selling to a room bidder for HK$1,156,400/ US$148,638, over six times its estimate (Est. HK$180,000 – 220,000/ US$23,200 – 28,400). The current work perfectly depicts the idyllic way of living in ancient China. The artist’s coherent use of pastoral imageries, such as the village, the setting sun, the river, the pine, the old mansion, and the bird, constructs a sense of placidity, optimism and humbleness of life, accenting the harmonic coexistence of man and nature.
Wang Jie, Managing Director of Tiancheng International, remarks: “In spite of the increasingly competitive consignment task among auction houses, we still manage to bring such satisfying results, particularly in our Modern and Contemporary Art auction which attained 80.1% value sold. This testifies our successful strategies on the New Ink genre, further confirming a thriving market where professional service is still highly valued. This autumn, we presented our auction under the theme of ‘Rediscovering the Aesthetic Value of Art’. Through a focused and meticulously curated set of artworks, we showcased to our valued collectors important artworks of different styles and forms adopted by Chinese modern and contemporary artists, namely ‘Description,’ ‘Structure,’ and ‘Expression.’ Our remarkable results have proven this strategy highly successful.”
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium
