Wang Jangeng

Estate of Li Yuan-Chia
Important Private European Collection

Work has been cleaned and is in very good condition.
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Wang Jangeng – A Recondite Post-war Abstract Artist

This collection by Li Yuan-Chia includes a series of cuttings from cultural magazines and newspapers published in Taiwan during its martial law period. Among the cuttings are drawings of ancient Chinese artefacts as well as research studies published at the time. Not only do they offer a glimpse of Li Yuan-chia’s source of artistic inspiration, but they are also associated with another Post-war artist little known by the world - Wang Jangeng (1927-2005). Wang graduated from Taipei College of Education, where he majored in general studies. For many years, in addition to his painting, he also actively published his poems and art criticism essays in cultural magazines in Taiwan. Among the aforementioned cuttings by Li Yuan-Chia, many have come from Wenyi Yuekan (Culture and Art Monthly), to which Wang has been actively contributing over the years. Furthermore, a number of oil paintings bearing Wang’s signatures, Yuming and Luya, were also found in Li’s studio, revealing a new chapter in Post-war art history, hitherto unexplored.

Active in both literary and artistic pursuits, Wang Jangeng explored a wide range of subjects in his writings. Such works as Shi de Tiandi, Qingkong Wanli  “A Horizon of Sunshine in the Realm of Poetry” (Wenyi Yuekan, July 1968); The Chinese Spirit of Painting and Modern Art (Zhongyang Ribao/Central Daily, 7 February 1967), and Revisiting Dadaism and Surrealism (Wenyi Yuekan, June 1987) all offer important insights into Wang’s creative approach to poetry and painting. “Shi Yi” , or “poetic flavour”, is an important concept in Chinese art, referring to an abstract, non-representational aesthetic, without a narrative element. When applied to words, Shi Yi creates verse, when applied to painting, it produces abstract imagery. Richly colourful and vibrant, Senza titolo (Lot 1003) is both a landscape infused with imaginative experiences, and an abstract composition imbued with the spirit of Wassily Kandinsky. A strong sense of rhythm and an adherence to subjective spirituality and emotion permeate the piece – using the juxtapositions of points, lines, planes and volumes Wang creates a pleasurable optical experience, while still evoking internal responses of a more spiritual nature.