Lot Essay
Huang Ming-che once said, "I used to do realistic figure sketches till 1986. I began to change at that time, feeling unable to do repetitions any more." It was life experience and contrast that provoked his searching for change. Composed in the same year, Sweet Lady (Lot 1500) continued to explore the feminine theme and yet embraced the artist's significant change of creation. In his previous paintings, lines were important elements of forms. Apart from the depiction of light and shade, lines in Sweet Lady are freed from the restriction of outlines. Forms and colours are gradually deconstructed and separated. Within the plane forms, the painting embraces a decorative composition and flowing lines, seemed to be influenced by Gustav Klimt and Willem de Kooning. Though Huang Ming-che depicts a figurative female body in the painting, he doesn't focus on one particular woman but to extract the soft and beautiful characteristics of female. The female body reflects mild ecru colour against the bold use of yellow, orange and peach pink in her face and in the background. The artist's rich applying of colours serves as a metaphor of female's changing softness and enthusiasm. Moreover, the fantastic warm tone conveys a sweet and romantic atmosphere.