KU FU-SHENG (CHINA, B. 1934)

Ku Fu-Sheng, once a member of the Fifth Moon Group, is an important figure who has contributed greatly to motivating the modern art movements in Taiwan. In 1961, he was awarded the Prize of Honor from Brazil's Sao Paulo Art Biennial. After that he has travelled to and lived in Paris, New York, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago and Los Angeles etc. The Illustration (Lot 479), Pink Elephant (Lot 480), Open – Come In (Lot 481), and United We Stand (Lot 482) are all creations from Ku Fu-Sheng's San Francisco Period (1974-1990) reflecting his long term exploration on human existence and his pursuit of the self. The figurative format expresses the freedom of the subconscious mind and a dreamy atmosphere. His visual style in the 80s are bright and lively like short poems, full of symbolism. His experiments on found object collages and his choices of colors are bold but elegant and harmonious. These four cutting-edge, mixed-media works are all signed with a seal, suggesting the nostalgia in the heart of a travelling artist -- far away from home for the pursuit of freedom.