Kum Chi Keung

signed in Chinese and dated 2009

Generally 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."

This work is unique.

Truly emblems of local Hong Kong culture, their ubiquity indisputable, birdcages dangle idly on a branch while their elderly owners gather and play a few games of chess in the park.  Chirping merrily along and watching the world go by, the birds within exist in narrow quarters that span merely the interior of their cages.  A metaphor for the scarcity of space in Hong Kong, the birdcage, juxtaposed with the notion of flight, holds great significance and is central to the oeuvre of artist Kum Chi Keung.  Bamboo (Lot 608) perpetuates the artist's ruminations on the quandary of liberty and space.  Constructing the shape of a bamboo out of a series of little birdcages, the work embodies the resilience of Hong Kong people despite fundamental setbacks.