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Lot 30: I NYOMAN MASRIADI (Indonesian, B. 1973)

Est: $900,000 HKD - $1,200,000 HKDSold:
Christie'sHong Kong, Hong KongMarch 15, 2015

Item Overview

Description

I NYOMAN MASRIADI (Indonesian, B. 1973) Titan Arum signed and dated 'Masriadi 25 Sep 2003' (lower left) acrylic on canvas 173.5 x 168.5 cm. (68 1/4 x 66 3/8 in.) Painted in 2003

Dimensions

173.5 x 168.5 cm.

Artist or Maker

Literature

T.K. Sabapathy, Nyoman Masriadi: Reconfiguring the Body, Gajah Gallery, Singapore, 2010 (illustrated, p. 165 and 215).

Provenance

Private Collection, Indonesia

Notes

Paintings without the human figure amount to only a handful in Indonesian painter Nyoman Masriadi's oeuvre. Painted in 2003, during a time when Masriadi was fixated with the notions of power and strength and had begun regularly painting his trademark black skinned figures, Titan Arum stands out distinctively for the elaborate, fascinatingly detailed depiction of the Amorphophallus titanum, commonly named the Titan Arum plant. Like many of his nonfigurative works, Titan Arum is rich in allegorical content. The Titan Arum is one of the world's largest flowering plants, endemic to western Sumatra but highly prized by botanic gardens and private collectors internationally. Masriadi's painted Titan Arum grows from a landscape of volcanic limestone hills and pierces a clear azure-blue sky dramatically. Its defiant phallic bloom, surrounded by a luscious leaf-flower like spathe, demonstrates a strength and resilience to overcome the barrenness of its surroundings. Like so many of Masriadi's painted black and brown skinned figures, Titan Arum possesses a determination and will to not just exist but to thrive.

Auction Details

Asia+ / First Open

by
Christie's
March 15, 2015, 03:00 PM UTC

2203-8 Alexandra House 16-20 Chater Road, Hong Kong, HK