Lot 161: Yuan Zhan (Yuan Jai) , Jade Mountain ink and colour on silk

signed in Chinese with the artist's seal mark on the right side framed Executed in 2005 ink and colour on silk

measurements note 120 by 244.5cm.; 47 1/4 by 96 1/4in.

Eslite Gallery, Taiwan, 2006

Yuan Jai, Eslite Gallery, Taiwan, 2006

Eslite Gallery, Taiwan
Acquired from the above by the current owner

Born in Sichuan Province, China in 1941, Yuan Jai lives and works in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Well trained in traditional ink painting, Yuan Jai was also once a researcher at Taiwan's Palace Museum. Her familiarity with high culture and its lineage is reflected in her richly coloured paintings on silk. Fitting into the category of "art historic", Yuan's earlier paintings reminds one of Chinese ink masters such as Don Qi-chang from the late Ming Dynasty. Yuan, however, has imbued her paintings with fresh new elements. Not only is her sense of colour exceptional, her works are both refined and glamorous, making her a modern pioneer in reviving China's traditional sense of colour. Her works are also often a mixture of new and old, East and West, showing her audience the dynamic possibilities a Chinese painting could offer.