In his earlier years, Chiu focused on exploring western modernist concepts in his works. This can be seen in Untitled (Lot 243), with its impressionistic brushstrokes and vibrant colors, demonstrating Chiu's early command over the western oil paint medium. The interest in color relations evident in this work would be further developed through Orphist influences in his later works. In Pownal Centre, Vermont (Lot 244), Chiu applied paint with a fluid, watercolor-like touch. Space in this work is flattened, and the mutable soft hues and lyrical lines invite the viewer's eyes to wander. The meticulously designed landscape seems to expand horizontally before the viewer's eyes. Simultaneously realistic and abstract, this work exudes an atmosphere of otherworldliness.