NATEE UTARIT | Sa-kae

Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2005, Lot 69
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner
Private Collection, Hong Kong

This work is in good overall condition as viewed.
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.

A sumptuous and dynamic exploration of flora, Sa-kae is a sculpture that showcases Natee Utarit’s bold advancement from painting to sculpture. One of the artist’s first exploration into this theme in sculpture was a depiction of a lotus leaf, commissioned by The Metropolitan hotel in Bangkok in 2002. Prior to creating the sculpture, he executed a magnificent painting in order to study the subject closely. The present lot is the second such bronze sculpture by the artist. The title of the work, Sa-kae, holds connotations of prosperity and brilliance in Japanese. Here, Utarit finds inspiration in a dried flower and fruit that he had originally utilized as a reference for a still life painting. He decidedly focuses on the subject in its simple and natural form, expanding its most minute details and deconstructing its physical and emotional value. In the artist’s statement (July 2006), he says: “Much of my work deals with various aspects of truth and illusion and their complex interplay with the nature of beauty, dreams, hopes and perfection.”

The form of the flower appears to gracefully move in space, much like a Spanish dancer sea slug floats in the deep oceans. The textured, raw surface of the sinuous petals brings a sense of vitality to the sculpture. Cast in bronze, the work is tactile and strong, yet its slender petals are ethereal and nuanced. This dichotomy of sturdiness and delicacy is undeniably emblematic of femininity itself.

Later in his life, Utarit would continue to meticulously explore the physicality of flora, with its petals cascading like drapery in his paintings, much like they do in the present lot. Dominating the entirety of the picture plane in his two dimensional works, and standing as the sole subject in this sculpture, the magnified forms of these flourishing flowers appear like opulent fabric moving freely against negative space.