Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn 2010 auctions will take place 26 November – 2 December. Amongst the highlights will be an early Mask Series from Zeng Fanzhi. Painted in 1996, this important work comes from a private European collection of Chinese contemporary art.The uncommon three-figure arrangement of the composition, establishes a complicated spatial relationship that is not often seen in Zeng's paintings. The unusual ideograms on the background remind us of the Chinese ancient aesthetics that Zeng continually transformed in his paintings in the mid-1990s.
Another highlight will be Sanyu’s Potted Chrysanthemum In a Blue And White Jardinière. Deep crimson was frequently employed by Sanyu throughout the 1940-1950’s, and in Potted Chrysanthemum it brings a heightened intensity and expressiveness that contrasts sharply with the reserved pastel pink of his works in the 1930's. Here the artist explores both the abstract nature of color and the essence of still life paintings, resulting in a work that displays both the cultural presence of traditional Chinese literati paintings and the clear artistic influence of Western techniques. This work stands as one of the most important works from the artist to appear on the auction market in recent memory and has the potential to set a new auction record.