HONG KONG - Christie’s Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings and Calligraphy sale will be held on 29 May, featuring a series of rare splashed-ink and colour masterpieces by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) from the 1960s and the 1970s.

Christie's is honoured to present several magnificent masterpieces of Zhang Daqian, many of which are making their auction debut. The most notable work, Temple with Waterfall, is a masterpiece from the artist's “Brazil period”, splashed in vibrant mineral pigment. The painting was kept by the artist himself for many years. Like Temple at the Mountain Peak (which was offered by Christie's Hong Kong in Spring 2021) and other vital works from the 1960s, Temple with Waterfall was specially selected by Zhang to be sent to Japan for luxurious mounting. In 1978, Zhang Daqian was invited by the South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo to hold a solo exhibition at the Sejong Centre in Seoul. Temple with Waterfall was one of the exhibits and the first work in the exhibition catalogue, which testifies to the importance of the painting. Other pieces from the same collection,  Live in Seclusion, Longevity, and Lotus, were also featured in the same exhibition.

Additional highlights of the sale are three exceptional masterpieces from a distinguished private American collection. Having encountered Zhang Daqian through artist Wang Jiyuan (1893-1975), the original collectors became important early supporters of Zhang Daqian in the 1960s. They hosted him at their residence and in 1972, travelled to San Francisco for his retrospective. Blossoms on Verdant Hills, Snowy Mountains in Spring, and Temple at Mountain Peak perfectly exemplify Zhang Daqian’s bold shift towards abstraction and experimentation with media. 

These timeless pieces embody Zhang Daqian’s most cosmopolitan and modern creative spirits, his world travels, and his ingenuity to fuse traditional Chinese painting techniques with Western abstract expressionism into a brand new artistic language, further securing him as a pivotal figure in the global art scene.

Preview (By Appointment only):

Hong Kong | 1 – 4 April | Christie’s Galleries, 22/F, Alexandra House, 18 Chater Road, Central

Beijing | April/May (TBC) | Christie’s Beijing Art Space, 1/F, Tower 1, 82 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Shanghai | April/May (TBC) | 4/F, BUND ONE, No.1 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road Shanghai 200002, China

Taipei | 7 – 8 May | Marriott Taipei, No. 199 Lequn 2nd Road, ZhongShan District, Taipei

Hong Kong | 22 – 27 May | Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, No. 1 Harbour Road, Hong Kong

Auction:

Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy

Date : 28 May 2022

Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings

Date : 29 May 2022

Location: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, No. 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong