SOTHEBY’S
HONG KONG GALLERY PRESENTS LIVING SCULPTURES: THE ART OF BONSAI
- A
Selling Exhibition
17 – 30
June 2014
Sotheby’s
Hong Kong Gallery, 5/F One Pacific Place, Admiralty
Sageretia
Theezans, Early
20th Century, 78.7 x 137.2 cm (with rock)
Sotheby’s
Hong Kong Gallery is pleased to present a selling exhibition of bonsai trees,
titled Living Sculptures: The Art of Bonsai, from 17 to 30 June.
The 16 featured bonsai dating from the late 18th century to 2000 represent the
ancient Chinese art of penjing, which literally translates to “tray
landscape”.
With fascinating sculptural features, each tree reflects the
aesthetic vision and skill of an artist combined with the will of nature.
Rather than domination of one over the other, the beauty of bonsai lies in the
harmonious fusion of man and nature.
Kevin Ching, Chief Executive Officer of
Sotheby’s Asia said: “I am delighted to present our bonsai selling
exhibition, which is a celebration of an art form that has been integral to the
Chinese literati lifestyle for centuries. Chinese bonsai are captivating and
intriguing, embodying at the same time both contrasts and symbiosis between
nature and man.
"This exhibition will be a first in Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery
space, which is at the forefront of bringing new and exciting exhibitions and
events to art lovers, as well as our most valued clients.”
Angelika Li, Gallery Director, Sotheby’s Hong Kong
Gallery, said:
“Since its inception in 2012, Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery has been devoted to
providing a platform for creative thinking and ideas through a diverse art
programme including curated exhibitions, panel discussions, live performances
and educational projects for audiences in the region.
"We hope that this
exhibition will offer contemporary perspectives on the appreciation of the
beauty and tradition of bonsai and inspire viewers to contemplate and redefine
the spiritual relationship between human and nature.”
ON THE ART
OF BONSAI
Bonsai
generally refers to potted plants, but strictly speaking, it refers to trees
grown with specially cultivated skills and conforming to recognised ancient
standards. Murals depicting miniature landscapes found in the Tang Dynasty Qianling
tomb—dating to more than one thousand years ago—are the earliest
archaeological evidence of the art of bonsai.
Today, it is widely believed that
China is the origin of this ancient art form.
Bonsai was introduced to Japan by
Japanese Buddhist monks studying in China who brought home penjing as
souvenirs which became known in Japan as bonsai, a symbol of the aristocracy.
In ancient China, bonsai were not only appreciated by the wealthy, but also
adorned gardens of ordinary people and were treated as collectible scholarly
items, a type of playful object for literati and the leisure class.
The aesthetics
of bonsai include not just the shape of the tree but also the composition it
forms with the stone, the pot and the stand.
While there are common concepts of
aesthetics between bonsai and Chinese literati art, the difference lies in the
long growing process bonsai involves, as the mind of the artist may change over
time and the growth of the tree cannot be entirely controlled.
Bonsai therefore
represents a fusion of traditional beliefs with the Eastern philosophy and the
harmony between man and nature.
EXHIBITION
HIGHLIGHTS
Sageretia
Theezans
Early 20th
Century
78.7 x 137.2
cm (with rock)
+.jpg)
Podocarpus Macrophyllus (Hong Kong Pine)
Early 20th
Century
85.1 x 61 cm
Fraxinus
Hupehensis
Mid 19th
Century
80.6 x 45.7 cm
Juniper
Late 18th
Century
73.7 x 111.8
cm
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