Wu Dayu

Lin and Keng Gallery, Taipei
Important Private Asian Collection

Taipei, Wu Dayu Solo Exhibition, Lin and Keng Gallery, October 15 - November 6, 2005

Wu Dayu, Lin and Keng Gallery, Taipei, 2006, p. 117, illustrated in colour

The work is overall in good condition. There are very slight paint losses across the surface. There are very slight accretions across the surface. There is no sign of restoration under UV light.
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When looking at Wu Dayu's work, the viewer needs time to contemplate and reflect on its power since its completely abstract composition often contains some figurative elements. At acursory glance, Untitled No. 7 is an intensely hued painting, but if we pay attention to the details, we see a Peking opera mask is hidden in the middle of the vibrant blue. The dark blue in the center is the side view of the mask; the light blue on the upper-left part is its jade crown with a red ball in velvet on the top. Whether the figure is clear enough for the viewer to identify or not is not the artist's main concern. Instead, according to Wu Guanzhong, the elements of Peking opera are not the leading character in Wu Dayu's work. The artist advocates the concept of "images of impulse" and his painting is composed of "the strong aura of Wu Dayu, the aura of China, China's aura engulfing form and colour of the West." Wu Dayu focuses on colours rather than forms, while the aura in his work at times overrides them. In Untitled No. 7, he perfectly injects the essence of Chinese tradition into the bright hues of abstract expressionism, finding his own and unique artistic language.