Guo Hanshen (Kwok Hon-Sum)

Acquired directly from the artist
Lo Shan Tang, Hong Kong
Private American Collection

One scroll with a 5 x5 cm L-shaped tear to the middle left, and a 2cm horizontal tear near the center of the right edge, both of which can be improved with restoration. Another scroll with a 4cm diagonal tear and a 4.5 cm vertical tear to the middle left, which can be improved by restoration. The third scroll in overall good condition. Overall hanging scroll dimensions: (i) 86 by 220 cm; 33 7/8 by 86 5/8 in., (ii) 86 by 221 cm; 33 7/8 by 87 in. and (iii) 85.8 by 222 cm; 33 3/4 by 87 3/8 in.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Kwok Hon Sum is best recognized for his meticulously rendered ink paintings of Buddhist or Daoist objects of contemplation. He graduated from the Fine Art Department of National Taiwan Normal University and later studied ink painting at the Chinese University of Hong Kong under the tutelage of Liu Kuo-Sung in 1976. Liu’s fascination with man landing on the moon in 1969 led to the development of his iconic space painting series (see Lot 512), which also influenced Kwok to merge cosmic themes into his compositions.

In the mid-1980s, Kwok’s paintings shifted away from traditional landscape motifs of mountains and waterfalls and towards abstract compositions of void spaces with spiritual symbolism. Kwok merged an atmospheric style with Buddhist iconography, which was partially inspired by viewing thangka paintings and prayer banners brought by Liu Kuo-Sung from travels in Tibet in 1986. Since then, Kwok’s own spiritual pursuit of Buddhist teachings became the focus of his paintings, especially on the sacred texts and ten thousand dharmas, as illustrated in Red Thoughts (Lot 570). Using vibrant tones of red and gold accents, Kwok depicts a series of abstractly rendered seated figures, reminiscent of grand Buddhist mural paintings, and alludes to the practice of meditation towards an infinite state of consciousness.