Chen Qikuan (Chen Chi-Kwan)

signed CHEN QIKUAN and with one seal of the artist

Private Asian Collection             

Overall in good condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Distinctively whimsical and thoughtfully composed, Chen Chi-Kwan’s paintings are considered to be some of the most innovative in his generation. His formal creative training began in architecture as a colleague of the famous Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius, a teacher at MIT, and as a collaborator of IM Pei on the design of Tunghai University in Taiwan. His keen eye for design infused the traditional monochromatic brushstrokes of Chinese painting with spirited vigor. In the present lot, which hails from his most famous series of his studies of monkeys, Chen demonstrates his fluency with brush and a distinctive playful spirit.  Throughout his career as an architect, Chen Chi-Kwan produced works that are currently part of notable permanent collections, including the Harvard University’s Arthur M. Sackler Museum, University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Kansas’s Spencer Museum of Art, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and the National Palace Museum, Taipei.