S otheby’s Hong Kong is pleased to present British+Iranian+American artist, Kour Pour’s solo exhibition, Ten Thousand Things & One Suchness. In this highly-anticipated return to Hong Kong, the artist presents 12 new large-scale paintings which draw inspiration from a myriad of sources ranging from Persian miniatures, Japanese ukiyo-e prints, Western abstract painting, Chinese landscape and export paintings, Buddhist sculpture and thangka painting. Pour’s new paintings are exhibited alongside a selection of antiques and treasured objects from across Asia recreating the environment of a bazaar along the Silk Road.
In this new series of paintings Kour Pour presents the viewer with canvases that come alive with painted figures and objects from across time and geographies, brought together with an irreverent humour underlined by titles such as Namaste (From India to LA), Guardians of the Galaxy and Citipati Party. The ’Suchness’ of the exhibition title refers to the Buddhist term ‘suchness’ or ‘Tathātā’ meaning the essential nature of reality, or the truth of all things. The traditional bordered format of Tibetan thangka paintings merges with the borders of Persian miniature paintings as well as the borders of carpets from cultures across the world.
28 September - 19 October 2023
Weekdays | 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Weekends & Public Holidays | 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
(*Closed 14-15 October)
Sotheby's Hong Kong Gallery
5/F, One Pacific Place, Admiralty
Enquiries:
Fusako Oshima | Fusako.Oshima@sothebys.com
Specialist, Private Sales
Kour Pour (b. 1987) grew up in the UK where his Iranian father owned a carpet shop. He graduated from Otis College of Art and Design and has been living in LA for over 15 years. His artworks transgress traditional geographical and historical boundaries, highlighting cultural exchanges that lead to artistic innovation and disrupting the idea of linear, geographically-specific art histories. The breaking down of traditional divisions of contemporary and historical, craft and fine art, East and West, ‘Global South’ and ‘Global North’, popular culture and high culture, places Kour Pour at the forefront of a social and art ecosystem which is more globalized that ever, whilst also reminding the viewer that cultural and material exchange has been prevalent between humans on different sides of the world for thousands of years. The continued growth of the artist’s huge popularity amongst collectors and institutions around the world reflects the ongoing dissolution of divisions in society and between cultures and a shared belief that through art and spirituality we can understand and celebrate the ever-growing plurality of voices that make up our world.
