Untitled

As the leading figure of Hong Kong’s New Ink Painting Movement in the early-1970s, Irene Chou sought to express her own inner universe through a highly original and innovative visual language. In Untitled, the visceral quality of Chou’s ink application creates an overwhelming and explosive energy across the paper. Borrowing from the abstract structure of Chinese calligraphy, the sharp twists and turns of the dark ink brushstrokes demonstrate a sense of vigour in the artist’s handling of ink and brush. A kaleidoscope of bright greens, blues, oranges, and reds punctuate the movement and rhythm of the luminous black surface. Emerging from all these microvessel-like brushstrokes is a singular vermillion cloud seal at the top half of the painting. Seemingly unconventional and insignificant, the decorative seal is in fact a personal remembrance of Chou’s late husband Yang Yanqi, who carved all her seals. To the left of the seal a spherical shape rendered by a mix of dark and light dots can be seen, which from afar appears as though there is a light source shining on its surface. Chou has often expressed that spheres represent her ‘inner self’ and this deliberate repetition of circular movements throughout the painting suggests a deeply personal and complex reflection of her emotions.