Hou Junming (Hou Chun-Ming)

signed and titled in Chinese and dated 1996

Galerie Loft, Paris

Taiwan, Taipei, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei Biennial, 1996

USA, New York, Asia Society Galleries and PS1 Contemporary Art Center; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; Seattle, Tacoma Art Museum and the Henry Art Gallery; Mexico, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo; China, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Inside Out - New Chinese Art, 1998 - 2000, pl. 56 (only (i) illustrated in catalogue)

France, Paris, Espace Pierre Cardin, Paris - Pékin, October, 2002, p. 107

This work is generally in good condition. There are minor wear and tear at some of the works' centre where they fold. There are creases around the edges. Please note that it was not examined under ultraviolet light.
"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.
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A total of two sets have been made of New Paradise. The other set comprises of black and white woodblock prints.

"New Paradise finds its origins in the manuscripts made during my teenage years, a time when feminism was on the rise. I feared—I feared that women will no longer be gentle, that they will no longer take care of men unconditionally, that they will leave and no longer wish to be one with men. What if women grew penises and become so self-assured that they no longer need men, what will men do then? Men who have lost the loving attention of their women might die of hunger, they might live in garbage dumps...thus, I was horrified by feminism.
The story behind my retrieving these sketches and converting them into
woodblock prints was the following: that year, my ex-wife was to leave me for her studies in the United States, and my life was gradually entering a dreaded darkness. I adopt the format of comic strips for this piece, an approach that diverges from the individual prints I have made previously. This format not only incorporates the element of time into my work, but also generates potential for fissures between relationships and produces room for muti-layered messages."
HOU JUNMING

Translation of texts on prints:

New Paradise
Plum month of 1996 by Hou of Liujiao Township.
First draft in 1986 at Liujiao.
Third draft in 1996 at Jonghe.
No longer affectionate toward man.
The determined woman is filled with resolve.
Rebellion imparts meaning to life.
Having just grown a penis, the woman is ecstatic.

There was a time when both genders connected well with each other. They were always supposed to be one. One day, however, the woman underwent a self-awakening. She demanded to be independent.

There was a time when both genders connected well with each other. They were always supposed to be one. One day, however, the woman underwent a self-awakening. She demanded to be independent.

Great pain and deep anxiety befell the man. Why can't the woman be gentle and considerate?

Left without the tender love of the vagina, even the most resilient man becomes powerless in the face of such merciless tragedy. Fortunately, the woman retrieved a remnant of a penis from her old lover. She is bursting with energy!

No longer oppressed and exploited by patriarchy, the new woman cannot be happier.

No longer oppressed and exploited by patriarchy, the new woman cannot be happier.