Lot 124
Hope
Michell HWANG (HWANG Ming-che) (Taiwanese, 1948)
1990-1991
Oil on canvas
182 x 136.5 cm
Estimate
TWD 1,800,000-2,400,000
HKD 439,000-585,000
USD 60,000-80,000
Sold Price
TWD 2,880,000
HKD 736,573
USD 94,955
Signature
EXHIBITED:
Michell Hwang Exhibition, Taiwan Museun of Art, Taichung, March 10 - April 25, 1992
Michell Hwang Solo Exhibition, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Art, Kaohsiung, October 23 - December 27, 1998
ILLUSTRATED:
Michell Hwang 1992, Taiwan Museun of Art, Taichung, 1992, color illustrated, pp. 84-85
+ OVERVIEW
In this work, entitled "Hope", the focus of this work is a woman whose head tilts to the center with a slight touch of apprehension in her cold facial expression. Her left hand is holding a messenger pigeon, and she cradles a child in her right arm. The seemingly primordial body stretching out towards the woman from the right is a man with two horns protruding from his head. He kneels with a regretful, imploring expression. Though the colors are bright and splendid, they cannot conceal the anguish the painter has left in the picture. (Wang Che-hsiung, Hwang Ming-che, Taiwan Museum of Art, Taichung, 1992, pp. 4-5)
Perhaps the artist wishes to use the picture to convey his ideas about the topics of family and marriage, to use a 'narrative' style to interpret these symbolic figures. Michell Hwang's works always seem to be suspended in the air, entirely in their own realm. The bold brushstrokes reduce the intent of the concrete forms, while the flowing lines and alternating colors create a sense of rhythm and tension. There is no set depictive technique in the work; instead it directly presents the spiritual essence of the artist. Through this image, the viewer can individualize the forms, turn emotions into icons and engage in a deeper exploration of the soul.
Modern & Contemporary Asian Art
Ravenel Autumn Auction 2010 Taipei
Sunday, December 5, 2010, 2:30pm