LIU KUO-SUNG (LIU GUOSONG, B. 1932)

Under the influence of Western art, Liu Kuo-sung initially focused on oil painting but returned to ink painting in 1961. He has since then expanded the possibility of the ink painting genre by introducing new techniques, such as collage, paper tearing, ink rubbing, to steeping ink between two pieces of paper. Inspired by cursive script calligraphy, Liu Kuo-sung began to work on his Calligraphic Abstraction Series (Lots 856 and 859) in the 1960s. He uses a large brush to apply bold and carefree brushstrokes on wrinkled paper, abstracting traditional landscape compositions with a few powerful strokes. This series marks a breakthrough for Liu Kuo-sung who was then only in his 30s.