Wilson Shieh (Shieh Ka Ho)

executed in 2007

Private Collection, USA

Hong Kong, Grotto Fine Art, Wilson Shieh - Ladyland, pp. 34-35, illustrated in colour

Generally in good condition
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Wielding traditional Chinese gongbi technique in his work, Wilson Shieh capitalizes on subject matter derived from Hong Kong metropolitan life.  Every aspect of his work is tightly controlled.  Tremendous attention is paid to the kind of brushes he uses, the shifting chromatic intensities of watercolours or ink and the overall tonality of the composition.  The interaction between watercolour and ink is like a metaphor for Chinese painting waltzing together with Western painting.  Characters in his works cover a wide spectrum, though they all seem to eschew gender categorization or emotional expression.  Lying in the midst of such ambiguity is the artist's penchant for scrutinizing the taboo theme of "sex".  The Princess is Dead (Lot 609) is rare in its deployment of subject matter extracted from American culture. The work was shown at his solo exhibition Ladyland, where an investigation of the female identity was carried out pictorially.  It features Disney character Snow White lying lifeless across the center, flanked by two dwarves.  Entranced in their chess game, they display complete disregard for the death of the princess.  The artist's dexterous application of colours is executed so that the blue shirt and yellow skirt of the princess are rendered diaphanous, thus revealing her underwear.  Their voyeurism satisfied, the dwarves continue with their battle on the chessboard.  Constantly challenging the moral compass of his audience, Wilson Shieh makes blatant statements through exposing the unmentionable, yet through a refined brush that adheres ever so loyally to traditional Chinese painting.