Spring Auctions Results, 2021
Last week, several auction houses commenced their Hong Kong Spring Sales with an impressive line up of masterpieces and works of art across varied and distinctive categories, ranging from fine art to antiquities and luxury items. Amongst the exciting and vast array of sales, several artworks by BAC artists, Ren Zhe and Pang Jiun made an appearance to the public eye this season.
Ren Zhe
“Equanimity”
2019
Bronze
Edition: AP2
115x63x105cm
Ren Zhe’s sculpture, “Equanimity” went under the hammer for HK$529,000 at Sotheby’s Modern Art Day Sale 2021.
Appearing at auction for the first time, “Equanimity” recalls one of Su Shi’s most notable poems, 定風波. Despite the hardships that he faced, Su Shi embraced an open-minded approach to life. Consequently, the sculpture emanates a domineering presence – highlighting the warrior’s lofty qualities and his ability to overcome insurmountable challenges.
Pang Jiun
“Winter Snow”
2016
Oil on Canvas
200x200cm
On 19 April 2021, “Winter Snow” was sold for HK$2,772,000 in the Sotheby’s Beyond Legends: Modern Art Evening Sale, reaching above its high estimate. Considered one of the artist’s largest snowscape paintings, this piece has been the first to appear at auction to date. Pang Jiun’s inspiration was rooted from happy times, whilst sketching in the snow for over three decades that the artist lived in Beijing and it was created based on recollections and fantasies of Southern China. In “Winter Snow”, Pang Jiun blends fragments of memories with the expressive forms of Western art and the spiritual tones of Chinese literati painting. The subtle injections of natural elements such as the pair of lovebirds, squirrel, and eagle adds a delightful innocence and a sense of hope within the painting.
“Spring Comes to My Home”
2020
Oil on Canvas
150x150cm
Amongst other spring auctions that took place in Hong Kong, China Guardian offered one of Pang Jiun’s works, “Spring Comes to My Home” in their Asian 20th Century and Contemporary Art Sale. Realising a total of HK$1,085,600 this painting is a vivid archetype of Pang Jiun’s iconic still life pieces.
Presented with contrasting dapples of paint in intensely bright yellow and varying degrees of blue against a glistening peach coloured background, Pang Jiun brings “Spring Comes to My Home” to life – indicating the end of a long dreary winter and welcoming the first signs of spring.
“Spring Still in Jiangnan”
2016
Oil on canvas
73x91cm
Presented as one of Pang Jiun’s signature landscape paintings, “Spring Still in Jiangnan” was also offered in China Guardian’s Asian 20th Century and Contemporary Art sale for HK$1,121,000, reaching almost double its high estimate.
This work demonstrates Pang Jiun’s constant exploration and innovation in painting landscapes of the southern region of China – fully conveying the tranquility of the scenery and his mastery in blending Western abstraction with traditional Chinese painting techniques.
Similar in composition yet relatively smaller in scale, this painting in many ways captures the artist’s vivid memories of Jiangnan displayed in “The World’s Best Scenery – Jiang Nan”, which realised HK$5,000,000 last December at Christie’s Modern and Contemporary Art Evening Sale.
“Little Artists” – Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children
On 23-25 April, Pottinger 22 opened its space for a charity event, where the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children hosted their project “Little Artists”, an exhibition dedicated to young philanthropists to display their artistic talents.
In our current society that is more divided than ever and due to the consequences of the pandemic, each participating individual/group was encouraged to contribute an original artwork to explore the theme of “Togetherness”.
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