188 - Liu KANG (1911–2004)

Liu KANG (1911–2004) “Balinese Women at Rest” 1955 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 81 x 100 cm Provenance: Former private collection, Paris Born in Fujian, China, in 1911, Liu Kang began his artistic training at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied a curriculum that blended Western and Asian artistic techniques. During the 1920s, his artistic training led him to Paris, to the heart of the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. This Parisian experience allowed the young artist to immerse himself in emerging artistic movements, such as Fauvism and Post-Impressionism. This influence—particularly the emphasis on color—would profoundly shape his artistic output. In 1942, Liu Kang settled in Singapore and contributed to the development of the Nanyang style. This artistic movement, developed by Chinese artists who had immigrated to Singapore, drew on traditional Southeast Asian themes while incorporating Western painting techniques. Liu Kang quickly became one of the movement’s leading figures. In 1952, artists from the Nanyang movement embarked on a trip to Bali, an experience that would profoundly influence Liu Kang’s work. In particular, a visit was arranged to the home of French artist Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur, a traveling painter renowned for his depictions of Indonesian life, which led to the creation of numerous paintings that were featured in the exhibition “Pictures from Bali” in Singapore. Contributing to the development of Singapore’s art scene until the end of his life, he decided in 2003—one year before his death—to donate his works to the Singapore Art Museum. Liu Kang’s trip to Bali was particularly rich in subjects and inspiration. Although created three years after his trip, this work is reminiscent of that experience, offering an idyllic vision of it—an experience that left a deep impression on Liu Kang and inspired many of his works. While at times rendered in a more simplified style, this painting demonstrates the artist’s realism and technical skill. Here, the two women—one depicted from the front and the other from the back, alongside a white dog—are captured in a moment of rest, amidst a lush landscape that appears undisturbed. For a work with a very similar subject, created in 1957, see the Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong on April 3, 2017, lot no. 314.