Zhu Dequn (Chu Teh-Chun)

Tokyo, The Ueno Royal Museum, Solo Exhibition of Chu Teh-Chun, 2007, p. 345, illustrated in color

Impressions Art Gallery, Chu Teh-Chun, Taipei, 2005, p. 17, illustrated in color
Centre d'art Le moulin de Lambouray, Chu Teh-Chun - Au coeur de la creation, June-September 2004, p. 59, illustrated in color

Mounted on a wooden frame, the work is generally in very good condition. There are very slight rubbing marks on the upper right corner of the surface. Work was not examined out of frame nor under UV 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Master painter Zhu Dequn (b. 1920) has led a remarkable life that has taken him to many corners of the globe.  Born and educated in China, Zhu moved to Taipei in 1949 where he soon began teaching painting at the university level.  After several years in Taiwan, Zhu decided to go to Paris in 1955 where he soon became a fixture in the art world there.  Celebrated for his sweeping abstract oil paintings and exquisite skill as a colorist, Zhu went on to show at the Sao Paolo Biennale in 1969,  was honored with a large retrospective in Taipei in 1987, and became a full member of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1999. 

The work available here, Sommeil de la Matière (Lot 44), from 2003 is a large-scale abstraction that seems to hint at Zhu's fascination with the landscape of the Yangtze River Valley that he visited in 1947 prior to leaving China.  Large rock-like forms seem to jut out of a sea of blue.  Set at the core of these dark objects however is an explosion of bright colors; a jewel-box seemingly hidden in the deep valley of stone.  Throughout this entire career, Zhu has always turned to the use of cheery colors to enliven his canvases, and this work gives off a special energy thanks in large part to the visible brush strokes that exude a commanding energy in all segments of the canvas.  A truly international artist, Zhu and his work straddle the aesthetic traditions of China and Europe, producing hybrid abstractions that readily nod to the artist's own multinational identity.

-Eric Shiner