ZHONG CHENG

Zhong Cheng 2024 Autumn Auction「Modern And Contemporary Art」

  • Zhong Cheng 2015 Autumn Auction「Morden And Contemporary Art」
    • Download

    196

    ZHOU CHUNYA(b.1955)

    Nude

    1995

    Oil on Canvas
    80x100cm

    Signed Zhou Chun-Ya in Chinese, dated 1995

    Estimate TWD 5,200,000-6,500,000
    USD 161,000-201,200
    HKD 0-0

    Hammer Price TWD 5,040,000
    USD 153,238
    HKD 1,180,328

With a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist

Provenance：

Illustrated：

Exhibition：

Exposition：

As a pioneer and new up and rising artist, Zhou Chunya encountered a number of art movements throughout his life, ranging from “Scar Art”, “Local Art”, to “85 New Wave” each period with its own significant subject that reflects the important issues of their time. However, Zhou was never interested in following trends; instead his instinct guided him to create contemporary vocabulary that spoke traditional Chinese essence. His art communicates strong individual characteristics and powerful vitality that is transparent in all his creations. When he moved to Germany, he was deeply influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, with their coarse brushworks and intense emotions generating into astonishing visual effects. Well known art critic Ma Junzi once said, “Zhou Chunya approached the intersection between arts of the East and West. His style, language, concept and approach determine him to be an international contemporary artist, who was always aware of the present. With experienced and precise techniques, he absorbed the fruit of Western contemporary art. In a universal way, he is rebellious yet continuing traditions, emphasizing the pursuit of individuality yet not restricted by culture.”          

Thick solid black strokes cleverly wrapped around a woman’s body, the looming contour revealed non detailed features and the face is even distorted dramatically. The revolving black lines captured the artist’s unsettled territory, between stirring and the entangled, viewers are provoked to imagine. During his studies in Germany, being in a foreign land made the artist more aware of his Chinese heritage. Thus, in 1990, he devoted time and effort to understand traditional Chinese ink-drawings and calligraphy. In results, literati temperaments were later exhibited in all his creations. In the painting Nude, strong and resolute brushstrokes imply the freehand technique of ancient Chinese ink-drawing, where realistic forms are distorted to focus on raw emotions. The Abstract Expressionists also work in freehand; however Zhou communicates the same idea but based on different cultural value and background. Within Nude presents the artist’s restlessness, the seemingly chaotic lines is placed orderly to gesture the woman’s posture and curves. The state of being tangled extends to infinite and sophisticated emotions. The lines become denser as we approach the bottom of the painting; negative space is left in the above area to not distract our gaze from the focus of the work. The artist observes and dissects his subject from alternate perspective, the mysterious atmosphere suggest complex sentiments, and reveal traces of different cultural influence. Upon his return to China, his creativity found a language of his own, one that would open a new contemporary era.

View More Works