WALASSE TING (1929-2010)

Though Walasse Ting was born in Shanghai in 1929, he spent much of his career abroad, living and working in Hong Kong, Paris, and then finally in New York in 1980's where he became close friends with Andy Warhol, Tom Wesselman, Sam Francis and Joan Mitchell. Influenced by Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Art Informel, and the European avant-garde CoBra Group, Ting developed his own distinctive style using Chinese calligraphic brushstrokes to define outlines, infusing the composition with his signature vibrant palette. Lots 52, 53 and 54, presented in this sale, are representative of Ting's iconic fusion of a decisively modern color palette with the traditional Chinese medium of ink on rice paper.

In Untitled (Two Woman With Flowers in Their Hair) and Untitled (Yellow Women) (Lots 52 and 54, respectively), Ting juxtaposes brilliantly colored flowers with even more vibrant women to create a composition that is charged with an underlying eroticism. Ting was known as "The Flower Thief," a risqué reference to his paintings of both flowers and women. An exhibition of Walasse Ting's works will be held at the Musée Cernuschi in Paris from October 2016 – January 2017.

Guilin Landscape (Lot 54) provides a snapshot of Guilin's landscape that is known for the rising mountains and winding rivers. By quickly applying large areas of color, Ting creates a powerful visual impact building a composition full of movement and energy. In reinterpreting this well-known motif, the artist shows no hesitation in challenging tradition.