.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Yee Bon (Yu Ben) was born in Taishan, Guangzhou province. In 1928, he entered the Winnipeg School of Art in Canada. In 1929, he transferred to the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1931 with training in both oil painting and Chinese painting. In 1935, Yee Bon settled in Hong Kong, finally returning to China in September 1956, in response to the call by Zhou Enlai.
Having received formal artistic training, he is skillful in maneuvering the effects of colour and light. In Portrait of a Child (Lot 3451), he adopts colour schemes found in Western portrait painting. He uses dark, heavy tones in the background to draw attention to the pretty face of the girl who is deep in thought. Here, Yee Bon's treatment of the figure also reflects his sincerity and insistence on faithful observation. Most of Yee Bon's figures belong to the lower classes. For the artist, depicting subjects from this class enabled him to stay close to his artistic vision.
Yee Bon's Fishermen (Lot 3448), 1951 exhibits the strong local, ethnic accents characteristic of his works. At the time, Hong Kong was undergoing a phase of rapid development. As a result of huge influx of immigrants and the labour of ordinary people, the city was charged with new energy. In the painting, sunlight bounces off the blue sea surfaces. Some of the fishermen are nestled beneath the woven covers of their boats, others are standing at the rear of the small boat. The artist uses daring colours to illustrate his feelings about the good times.
Although Yee Bon lived abroad for many years, he still had a deep affection for his native country. Landscape (Hong Kong) (Lot 3449), 1949 contains additional significance as it encapsulates Yee Bon's yearning for his home and the lacking sense of fulfillment in Hong Kong. In the work, the artist depicts a cozy village on top of a hill, which looks into the distance. One finds yellow fields, green trees and village cottage in the scene. The village is, as always, silent. At the same time, it exudes a faint air of sadness, encapsulating the artist's haunting nostalgia for his home beyond the hill.
Under the gradual influence of Western painting traditions, Yee Bon became extremely sensitive to the use of shadow and colour. In Roses (Lot 3450), the range of colours embodied in the six roses and detailed patterns on the vase, reflected by the slightly warm light, illustrate the artist's love for art creation and his unceasing efforts to capture minute details.
Having received formal artistic training, he is skillful in maneuvering the effects of colour and light. In Portrait of a Child (Lot 3451), he adopts colour schemes found in Western portrait painting. He uses dark, heavy tones in the background to draw attention to the pretty face of the girl who is deep in thought. Here, Yee Bon's treatment of the figure also reflects his sincerity and insistence on faithful observation. Most of Yee Bon's figures belong to the lower classes. For the artist, depicting subjects from this class enabled him to stay close to his artistic vision.
Yee Bon's Fishermen (Lot 3448), 1951 exhibits the strong local, ethnic accents characteristic of his works. At the time, Hong Kong was undergoing a phase of rapid development. As a result of huge influx of immigrants and the labour of ordinary people, the city was charged with new energy. In the painting, sunlight bounces off the blue sea surfaces. Some of the fishermen are nestled beneath the woven covers of their boats, others are standing at the rear of the small boat. The artist uses daring colours to illustrate his feelings about the good times.
Although Yee Bon lived abroad for many years, he still had a deep affection for his native country. Landscape (Hong Kong) (Lot 3449), 1949 contains additional significance as it encapsulates Yee Bon's yearning for his home and the lacking sense of fulfillment in Hong Kong. In the work, the artist depicts a cozy village on top of a hill, which looks into the distance. One finds yellow fields, green trees and village cottage in the scene. The village is, as always, silent. At the same time, it exudes a faint air of sadness, encapsulating the artist's haunting nostalgia for his home beyond the hill.
Under the gradual influence of Western painting traditions, Yee Bon became extremely sensitive to the use of shadow and colour. In Roses (Lot 3450), the range of colours embodied in the six roses and detailed patterns on the vase, reflected by the slightly warm light, illustrate the artist's love for art creation and his unceasing efforts to capture minute details.