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Lot Essay
Trained as a traditional ink artist, Wu Hsueh-Jang has sought to continuously revolutionise his work with a childlike innocence. Wu studied under modern Chinese painting masters such as Lin Fengmian, Huang Binhong, Pan Tianshou, Li Keran and Fu Baoshi at the Hangzhou National Art College in 1943 and subsequently moved to Taiwan in 1948.
Wu’s work arouses childhood or ancestral memories by depicting adorable figures with minimalist lines or patterns from ancient myths. His work reflects the revolutionary spirit of the frontiers of contemporary ink art. Emitting a vibrant energy, Footprints (Lot 874) was created after his root-searching journey to mainland China where he was inspired by patterns on ancient bronzeware and spirals on Neolithic pottery. Here, he restages this fascination with the ever-changing universe with an almost ritualistic dance of brush on paper. The uneven application of colours in the background adds a naïve and humanistic touch that departs from the geometric abstractionism of Europe. Joy (Lot 873) portrays a family of baby geese following their mother with highly simple lines, which is a continuation of the expressionist tradition in Chinese painting. The mottles created by dyeing technique recall a memory of home.
Wu’s work arouses childhood or ancestral memories by depicting adorable figures with minimalist lines or patterns from ancient myths. His work reflects the revolutionary spirit of the frontiers of contemporary ink art. Emitting a vibrant energy, Footprints (Lot 874) was created after his root-searching journey to mainland China where he was inspired by patterns on ancient bronzeware and spirals on Neolithic pottery. Here, he restages this fascination with the ever-changing universe with an almost ritualistic dance of brush on paper. The uneven application of colours in the background adds a naïve and humanistic touch that departs from the geometric abstractionism of Europe. Joy (Lot 873) portrays a family of baby geese following their mother with highly simple lines, which is a continuation of the expressionist tradition in Chinese painting. The mottles created by dyeing technique recall a memory of home.