HE HONGYU (B. 1984)

Celebrating Tuen Ng

Details

HE HONGYU (B. 1984)
Celebrating Tuen Ng
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on silk
77.5 x 40.5 cm. (30 1⁄2 x 16 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with three seals of the artist
Dated fifth month, dingyou year (2017)

Literature

Paintings of He Hongyu, Tsi Ku Chai Co., Ltd., Hong Kong, October 2017, p.143.
He Hongyu, Interpretation of the Painting Methods of Celebrated Chinese Painters: Boneless Technique of Vegetables and Fruits, Tianjin Yangliuqing Fine Arts Press, Tianjin, December 2019, cover page.
Shu Yu Hua Magazine Vol. 344, Shanghai Calligraphy and Painting Publishing House, Shanghai, May 2021, p. 79.

Further details

Ink Art in Motion: The Post-’70s Generation

The post-70s generation born in mainland China is perhaps the luckiest in the twentieth century. Historical events in the first half of the 20th century, such as the dynastic transition and warfare with foreign powers, were only the stories in their textbooks. In the 1960s, political movements have become key themes in Chinese art and literature. These movements eventually progressed to a new stage and gradually dwindled. The generation thus grew up in a period when the society was reconstructing knowledge. People enjoyed an unprecedented openness as China sought a new political ideology and a functional economy. As we entered the 80s and the 90s, the youngsters held much enthusiasm for exploration, with a strong desire to participate in the globalization discourse unfamiliar to them. For them, the ability to express individuality has become their foundation in artmaking, reflected in their unique artistic styles and perspectives. Freedom is undoubtedly the main characteristic of the era.

The group of artists presented here painted different faces in Chinese ink paintings. Wu Qiang and Zhu Xiaoqing adhere to the proxy of traditional Chinese landscape paintings. They strive to instil contemporary elements to make landscape works more relevant to our times. Lu Junzhou, Lu Hui, and Chu Chu, inspired by different aesthetic origins, explore abstractionism, near-abstractionism and realism. The riveting works by Tong Tianqing, Sun Hao, Qiu Jiongjiong, Liu Qi, and Huang Hongtao are unique in their own right and share a refreshing, lighthearted visual pleasure with the viewers. The works by female painters such as Peng Wei, Xu Hualing, Pan Wenxun, and He Hongyu exude a peaceful and gentle appearance compared to their male counterparts, but they manifest a quiet, restrained power upon a closer look.

The three Hong Kong artists have distinct characteristics compared to their Mainland Chinese contemporaries. Having grown up in an economically fast-developing society, these artists experienced the end of British Colonialism and the implementation of the One Country, Two Systems policy. The small urban space has made them further explore the city and reflect on their identities. Therefore in their painting, Hong Kong often appears to be the primary feature, both implicitly and explicitly.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

He Hongyu, a native of Junxian County, Henan, graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Henan Hebi Normal College in 2004 and studied in the third session of the Shanshui Workshop at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou from 2013 to 2014. She participated in the Nanjing Excellent Young Painters Exhibition in August 2014, and became a member of the Nanjing Young Artists Association. He currently lives in Hangzhou and works tirelessly to study ancient masterpieces. She insists on painting based on nature for her flower and insect paintings. She plants flowers at home and carefully observes them and paints them in her spare time to improve her skills. With her precise brushstrokes, He delivers complex compositions of different species of flowers, creating a vivid sense of beauty.

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