(ZHU MING, Chinese, B. 1938)

In the 1970s, Ju Ming made a name for himself in local Taiwanese art circles for the deeply pastoral quality of his work. He and his contemporary Hung Tung both attracted widespread recognition, one for his sculpture and the other for his painting; both are viewed as important figures in the revival of Taiwanese pastoral art. The final piece shown here, In One Heart (Lot 3384), depicts a farmer and a water buffalo working together to move a load. In the center is a completely unadorned piece of wood that fills almost the entire cart; the rough surface grain not only attracts the viewer's gaze but also effectively conveys the heaviness of the load. The center of gravity of the piece tilts slightly toward the top left, conveying a strong feeling of strain which is further accentuated by the buffalo's fully extended front leg and protruding shoulder blade and the posture of the farmer pushing hard from behind. Here Ju Ming's extraordinary powers of observation of pastoral subject matter are demonstrated once more; he infects the viewer with intense emotion through his highly unique artistic style.