ZHONG CHENG

  • Zhong Cheng 2024 Autumn Auction「Modern And Contemporary Art」
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    WALASSE TING (1929-2010)

    I Love You

    1986

    Acrylic on Paper
    97 x 137.5 cm

    Signed on the reverse: Ting and titled in English, dated 1986

    Estimate TWD 4,500,000-5,500,000
    USD 141,000-172,300
    HKD 0-0

    Hammer Price TWD 5,400,000
    USD 166,924
    HKD 1,304,348

Provenance：

Illustrated：

Exhibition：

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"Before I saw Walasse Ting's paintings of nude women, I thought I couldn’t devote myself to just one person. But when she appeared, I realized I had simply not yet met the right woman. Beneath the vivid, clashing colors, she somehow remains real and serene. The interplay of these bold colors and lines creates a sense of voyeurism, as if glimpsing a nude through branches. Suddenly, all the seemingly restrained women in oil paintings appear to join in a secret celebration of color." — Tom Wesselmann, American Pop Artist.

Among the internationally acclaimed overseas Chinese artists of the 1960s and 1970s, Paris had Zao Wou-Ki and Chu Teh-Chun, Milan had Hsiao Chin, London had Richard Lin—and New York’s representative was Walasse Ting. Moving to Paris in the 1950s, Ting became an active figure in the European art scene as part of the CoBrA movement. Known for his vivid colors, uninhibited use of paint, and free-spirited symbols and figures, Ting brought a rich artistic depth with a profound Eastern spirit that shone through his vibrant style.

In I Love You, created at the peak of Ting’s artistic maturity in the 1980s, lush reds, greens, yellows, and blues seem to sweep across the canvas with effortless energy, layered and vivid yet harmoniously balanced. Amidst the surge of color, an understated allure arises, showcasing Ting’s playful choices in depicting women’s faces, hairstyles, and skin tones. He captures the spirit of spring in full bloom, using fluid and expressive color blocks, candid lines, and scattered drops of color. His subjects—graceful, alluring women—strike coy yet seductive poses, inviting viewers to sense the passion and desire that might have stirred the artist himself as he painted. Through his radiant, alluring florals and the tender elegance of his female subjects, Ting celebrates the beauty of life and sensory delight. In the fleeting, lush colors, he captures a sense of eternal romance and beauty that is always just beyond reach, yet vividly alive in the moment.

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