楊彥萍

二〇〇一年作

鈐印
「雁」。

英國，倫敦，Michael Goedhuis 畫廊，〈楊燕屏：荷花天堂〉二〇一四年十月三十日至十一月八日，38至39頁

Overall in very good condition. Framed size: 105 x 175 cm; 41 3/8 x 68 7/8 in.
"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."

Yang Yanping has been called one of the most innovative and successful guohua (national painting) painters of her generation.  Born in Nanjing, Yang studied architecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing and entered the Beijing Art Academy in 1980, where she experimented with oil painting and traditional Chinese ink and wash. In 1986, Yang and her husband, Zeng Shanqing (Lot 568), received fellowships as visiting artists to the United States and subsequently emigrated there.

Actively engaged with the Chinese modernists—who sought to explore the roots of traditional painting—Yang initially produced calligraphic works that referenced the historic connection between writing and drawing. Her work in calligraphic abstraction and her simultaneous desire to find innovative subject matter during China's tumultuous 1980s led her to discover the lotus flower—the traditional Buddhist symbol of beauty and purity that became Yang's muse for decades to come. 

Yang regards the flower as symbolic of her personal experience of change and rejuvenation. Her lotuses explode with color, featuring multiple layers of rich mineral inks and overlapping complex forms. In the present lot Deep Autumn (Lot 566), Yang applies color on both the front and back of the paper, using her innovative brushless techniques; Yang will at times use crumpled paper to paint a mixture of British watercolours, Chinese mineral colours, diluted acrylics and Chinese ink on the paper surface. The result is an intensely textured and boldly gestural non-representational image, representing Yang's feelings towards nature and celebrating her artistic freedom.

Over the past three decades, Yang's works have been exhibited frequently in Asia, Europe, and the United States. They are held in numerous private and public collections, including the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and the British Museum.