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Lot Essay
A synthesis of the aesthetic philosophy of European art, with the style and composition of traditional Chinese ink paintings, Lee Man Fong manages to capture the world around him with a romantic and timeless air of classic elegance, but simultaneously dynamic and full of depth.
In his work, Lee Man Fong celebrates and recognizes the importance of cultural heritage, often painting his human subjects engaging in act ivities which are traditional and culturally specific in nature. To him, 'art is an essence of culture without the form of written words but only strokes that tell directly anyone regardless of time, race and language'.
Satay Seller counts as one of the rarer earlier instances when Lee Man Fong included the figure of a waiting girl and boy alongside the protagonist of the satay seller. In the work, he frames the satay seller and the two children in a timeless setting. One could say the scene was set in the 1960s, or in today's Indonesia; Lee Man Fong manages to express the timelessness of a simple act of daily life. Painting from life, these characters are not figments of Lee Man Fong's imagination; rather, they are permanent fixtures of the Indonesian villagescape.
Highly disciplined as an artist, the value of Lee Man Fong's masterpieces lie in his technique. Writing about his artistic aesthetic, he says" I believe that first and foremost art is about the mastery of technique on shapes and motion." Influenced by Indian art, the artist uses a technique of short and deliberate translucent strokes of paint to deliver a luminescence similar to that of the chiaroscuro technique developed by the old masters. Coupled with his ability to render form in a precise manner, it is this that gives his work a sense of movement despite the minimalism of his line and composition.
Lee Man Fong distils the art of painting oil on Masonite board down to its essence, resulting in a body of work which has advanced the landscape of traditional Chinese painting by transferring ink aesthetics into oil painting. As such, he carves a place for himself as one of the most highly regarded overseas Chinese artists today.
In his work, Lee Man Fong celebrates and recognizes the importance of cultural heritage, often painting his human subjects engaging in act ivities which are traditional and culturally specific in nature. To him, 'art is an essence of culture without the form of written words but only strokes that tell directly anyone regardless of time, race and language'.
Satay Seller counts as one of the rarer earlier instances when Lee Man Fong included the figure of a waiting girl and boy alongside the protagonist of the satay seller. In the work, he frames the satay seller and the two children in a timeless setting. One could say the scene was set in the 1960s, or in today's Indonesia; Lee Man Fong manages to express the timelessness of a simple act of daily life. Painting from life, these characters are not figments of Lee Man Fong's imagination; rather, they are permanent fixtures of the Indonesian villagescape.
Highly disciplined as an artist, the value of Lee Man Fong's masterpieces lie in his technique. Writing about his artistic aesthetic, he says" I believe that first and foremost art is about the mastery of technique on shapes and motion." Influenced by Indian art, the artist uses a technique of short and deliberate translucent strokes of paint to deliver a luminescence similar to that of the chiaroscuro technique developed by the old masters. Coupled with his ability to render form in a precise manner, it is this that gives his work a sense of movement despite the minimalism of his line and composition.
Lee Man Fong distils the art of painting oil on Masonite board down to its essence, resulting in a body of work which has advanced the landscape of traditional Chinese painting by transferring ink aesthetics into oil painting. As such, he carves a place for himself as one of the most highly regarded overseas Chinese artists today.