Yu Peng

signed YU PENG, titled, inscribed, dated 1992 and with one seal of the artist

Private Asian Collection

Minor foxing at top portion of the image that can be improved with restoration.
"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."

Yu Peng never experienced formal academic training and began his career as a street artist. A 1981 visit to Mainland China was a turning point that inspired him to develop his own eccentric ink style, with unorthodox brushstrokes and intentionally awkward perspectives. His forest landscapes, iconoclastic yet meditative, are vivid and often erotic tableaus of figures, animals and fantastic rocks. In the present lot, he depicts acute observations of everyday life during a time of a rapidly industrializing Taipei.  As the inscription suggests, the title is a play on the Buddhist phrase for “soaring towards immortality”.  The modern figures are surrounded by a forest of flowering trees and in the company of beloved companions and pets. Typical of Yu Peng’s paintings in the extreme—either he makes compositions that are breathtakingly dense and rigid, or relaxingly spare and light-hearted—Soaring Towards Change is a nostalgic and typical example by one of Taiwan’s most celebrated artists.