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Lot Essay
Pang Jiun was born in 1936 to a family of artists in Shanghai. Under his parents' influence, he attended the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, where he developed a robust understanding of Chinese artistic styles as well as his own take on the idea of "painting in poetry, poetry in paint". Afterwards he studied Western oil painting techniques, that he finally, in his own words, "borrowed from impressionist and fauvist techniques but broke from their theories; imparting instead the Chinese style of freehand painting to create a personal kind of oil painting."
Pang Jiun's paintings often featured China's natural landscapes, and focused more on spontaneous expression than realistic representations to convey his deep passion for China's terrains. The Best Under Heaven (Lot 417) is an example of the artist taking advantage of a scene to express his feelings. His emphasis of the foreground objects' colours and the deemphasis of the distant scenery seem to invite viewers to imagine the countless mountain ridges and streams beyond the canvas, leaving one wanting for more. The mountains and rivers, which he depicted primarily with grey and white, situate the viewers in a utopian heaven. The touches of dark green and light brown also add to the liveliness and dynamism of the piece, contributing to the cosy vista while also doing the beauty of springtime justice. The use of grey also gives the piece layers similar to a traditional Chinese ink wash painting, making the distant peaks seem fleeting and ephemeral. While at first glance the work may seem uncomplicated, each minute detail such as the far-off fisherman and his boat has been carefully considered, and executed with calligraphic brushstrokes to bring them to life. Such exquisite artistry serve to make the work more and more intriguing with each additional view.
Pang Jiun's recent oil paintings feature everbolder use of colours, and brushstrokes that are more unencumbered than ever before. In The Gulangyu, Xiamen (Lot 416), Panguses vibrant oil paints to foreground the expressiveness and tangibility of oil painting, while also using the synergy among points, lines, and planes to deftly fuse together the spirit of Chinese paintings. The saturated azure blue of the sea in the foreground contrasts with the pale blue in the distance, exemplifying the artist's nuanced grasp of colours. This work also makes use of the juxtaposition in colour between the foreground and background, combining the sense of gradients in traditional Chinese paintings through the intense colours common in Western oil paintings. This use of varying saturation and colours to capture light and shadows result in a spaciousness that is rich in stories and narratives. Furthermore, the clearly-defined layers in the composition is also strongly reminiscent of traditional Chinese paintings. The three coconut trees swaying in the foreground adds another sense of whimsy to the piece. As he creates a sense of space in the piece, Pang also added to the poetry of the scene, giving viewers a strong sense of presence, feeling the gusts of sea breeze and the warm sunshine on the skin.
In addition to natural landscapes, Pang Jiun also painted many architectural scenes in oil paint. Romeo & Juliette's Balcony (Lot 418) further showcases his deep understanding of the relationship between colours, brushstrokes, and space. Using striking colours to highlight the vigorous bushes, lively attic, the colours layer on top of each other and stand testament to Pang's confidence in his oil painting techniques. The fine and precise strokes also reveal a hint of influence from Chinese freehand paintings, filling the work with intrigue and tantalising details.
Pang deeply understands both Western art and Chinese culture. He believes that while oil painting and Chinese art seem ill-matched or even contradictory on the surface, they are actually aligned and in tune spiritually. The sense of freeform and symbolic expression that modern Western masters pursue is exactly the essence of Chinese art. Over the past years, Pang consistently combined the way of ink wash paintings with oil painting techniques; while his works seem capricious and explosive, they carry on the poetic and nuanced ethos of Eastern scholar-painters.
Pang Jiun's paintings often featured China's natural landscapes, and focused more on spontaneous expression than realistic representations to convey his deep passion for China's terrains. The Best Under Heaven (Lot 417) is an example of the artist taking advantage of a scene to express his feelings. His emphasis of the foreground objects' colours and the deemphasis of the distant scenery seem to invite viewers to imagine the countless mountain ridges and streams beyond the canvas, leaving one wanting for more. The mountains and rivers, which he depicted primarily with grey and white, situate the viewers in a utopian heaven. The touches of dark green and light brown also add to the liveliness and dynamism of the piece, contributing to the cosy vista while also doing the beauty of springtime justice. The use of grey also gives the piece layers similar to a traditional Chinese ink wash painting, making the distant peaks seem fleeting and ephemeral. While at first glance the work may seem uncomplicated, each minute detail such as the far-off fisherman and his boat has been carefully considered, and executed with calligraphic brushstrokes to bring them to life. Such exquisite artistry serve to make the work more and more intriguing with each additional view.
Pang Jiun's recent oil paintings feature everbolder use of colours, and brushstrokes that are more unencumbered than ever before. In The Gulangyu, Xiamen (Lot 416), Panguses vibrant oil paints to foreground the expressiveness and tangibility of oil painting, while also using the synergy among points, lines, and planes to deftly fuse together the spirit of Chinese paintings. The saturated azure blue of the sea in the foreground contrasts with the pale blue in the distance, exemplifying the artist's nuanced grasp of colours. This work also makes use of the juxtaposition in colour between the foreground and background, combining the sense of gradients in traditional Chinese paintings through the intense colours common in Western oil paintings. This use of varying saturation and colours to capture light and shadows result in a spaciousness that is rich in stories and narratives. Furthermore, the clearly-defined layers in the composition is also strongly reminiscent of traditional Chinese paintings. The three coconut trees swaying in the foreground adds another sense of whimsy to the piece. As he creates a sense of space in the piece, Pang also added to the poetry of the scene, giving viewers a strong sense of presence, feeling the gusts of sea breeze and the warm sunshine on the skin.
In addition to natural landscapes, Pang Jiun also painted many architectural scenes in oil paint. Romeo & Juliette's Balcony (Lot 418) further showcases his deep understanding of the relationship between colours, brushstrokes, and space. Using striking colours to highlight the vigorous bushes, lively attic, the colours layer on top of each other and stand testament to Pang's confidence in his oil painting techniques. The fine and precise strokes also reveal a hint of influence from Chinese freehand paintings, filling the work with intrigue and tantalising details.
Pang deeply understands both Western art and Chinese culture. He believes that while oil painting and Chinese art seem ill-matched or even contradictory on the surface, they are actually aligned and in tune spiritually. The sense of freeform and symbolic expression that modern Western masters pursue is exactly the essence of Chinese art. Over the past years, Pang consistently combined the way of ink wash paintings with oil painting techniques; while his works seem capricious and explosive, they carry on the poetic and nuanced ethos of Eastern scholar-painters.