Liu Kang

Commissioned by the present owner
Private Collection, Singapore

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. Upon close inspection, there is some faint craquelure at some areas of thicker impasto. All other inconsistencies are inherent to the artist's working method. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals small spots of restoration along the edges and surface of the work. Framed.
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.

Liu Kang was one of the earliest pioneers of the Nanyang art style and a founding father of modern Singaporean art. Liu spent his formative years as an artist studying in Shanghai and Paris. As a student at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, Liu was particularly attracted to the modernist aesthetics of Post-Impressionism and Fauvism in the works of Matisse and Cézanne, and sought to incorporate elements of their styles into his own work. Liu’s style epitomises the synthesis of elements from both Eastern and Western art traditions that is a hallmark of the Nanyang art style.

The present lot entitled Beach Scene is a striking work of Liu’s that exemplifies the Nanyang flair he brought to his painting.  It presents Liu’s distinctly modern, Western-influenced interpretation of a quintessential Southeast Asian scene. The painting depicts a beach off a tropical coast, where two figures lounge on the sand at complete ease. Nearby, a boat rests on the shore, overlooking a vast expanse of intensely-hued blue sea that seamlessly blends into the horizon. The Nanyang setting comes alive under Liu’s skilled brush, transporting the viewer — the heat of the equatorial sun and the glimmer of light dancing off the ocean are palpable from just looking at the painting alone.  

Liu’s spontaneous, expressive application of paint marks this piece as an exceptional example of his distinct artistic vernacular, which he applied to painting local subjects in the Southeast Asian region. The influence of Van Gogh and the other Post-Impressionists on Liu’s style is also reflected in the rhythmic, broadly textured brushstrokes Liu uses throughout the painting. His use of colour is intense and vivid--the stunning contrast between the reds, browns and beiges of the land against the unadulterated stretch of blue that forms the sea and the sky reinforces the radiance of the tropical landscape in the painting.

Liu Kang was a veritable giant in Singapore’s modern art history, and his particular aesthetic sensibility bridges between the artistic vocabularies of the West and his own experiences living in Singapore. As an artist whose works were exhibited all over the world from Paris to Beijing, Liu had a seminal role in further developing the budding Nanyang tradition to maturity. Beach Scene represents the artistry that underpins his oeuvre and is an exquisite example of his Nanyang works.