signed in Chinese and dated 94

Soobin Art Int'l, Singapore 
Important Private Asian Collection

The Complete Works of Wu Guanzhong Vol. IV, Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House, Hunan, 2007, p. 120, 121, illustrated in colour

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of thin animal hair across the surface of the work. There is no evidence of restoration under UV.
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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."

In the 1990s, Wu Guanzhong was a mature and confident artist, as seen in his work Summer. He filtered what he saw through an abstract lens, adding vibrant colours, juxtaposing points and lines in creating a vivacious portrait of the season. Summer can be interpreted as a painting of reddish pink lotus blossoms and green leaves by the pond, or spirited wisteria climbing on the wall. It is precisely this grey area between realism and abstraction that stretches the viewer's imagination, as the artist revels in that freedom to "surpass objective realism, yet stay close to realism" in a straightforward manner. Wu Guanzhong once discussed the topic of "life" with the following words: "The earth has nurtured endless life that breaks through from the ground. Life manifests itself in such multifarious forms as fine blades of grass, flowers that cover the ground like a carpet of silk, or trees of various species... I feel that life itself continues to grow, and strives heartily to do so. At the same time, I sense that lives are also wilting, dying. Yet the existence of life and imminence of death collide against and embrace each other. In the dark night, at dawn, at dusk, I take flight just like a butterfly, plunging into the consciousness of life." 1 Teeming with energy, this painting can be interpreted as a perfect rendition of life by the artist, and at the same time, it is a testament of Wu's perfect grasp of abstract art in the 1990s.

[1] Wu Guangzhong, ed., The Birth of Art—Wu Guangzhong, People's A💜rt Pu🙈blishing House, Beijing, 2010, p. 233