Chow Chun Fai

signed in Chinese and Pinyin and dated 2011 on the reverse of the first panel

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

These works are in good conditions with minor wear in handling around the corners. There are gentle abrasions to the bottom and top edges throughout, with minor surface accretions. Please note that they were not examined under ultraviolet 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. 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."

Appropriation is not an uncommon creative technique, the most famous practitioner being the American Pop Artist Andy Warhol, who used Campbell's Soup and Coca-Cola to critique the shallowness and commercialization of American culture. Chow Chun Fai's appropriation and reconstruction of symbols of Hong Kong popular culture time and time again capture the island city's postmodern characteristics and provide them with alternative possible interpretations. These artworks have made Chow Chun Fai an extremely representative Hong Kong contemporary artist. He began his famous Painting on Movies series in 2007; the series rose to prominence with his excerpted scene from the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, which commented on the quintessential question of identity for Hong Kong people.

The artist's reflections on Hong Kong have continued in his subsequent works. Bodyguards and Assassins (Lot 682) is one of the largest works from this famous series: the quadriptych stretches nearly five metres long. Bodyguards and Assassins is set in Hong Kong early in the twentieth century. In the film, a group of revolutionaries protect Sun Yat-sen from assassination. The artist selected a scene from the film in which the revolutionary Yeung Ku-wan gives a speech to students at the Furen Literary Society, describing the idealistic Three People's Principles advocated by Sun Yat-sen. Chow Chun Fai distills this scene into a response to the recent democracy movement in Hong Kong, expressing the artist's hopes for the city.