HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s Hong Kong will present more than 250 lots of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art estimated in excess of HK$90 million / US$11.5 million in the Modern and Contemporary Asian Art – Evening Sale (4 April) and Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Day Sale (5 April) during the Spring 2015 Sale Series. The largest Southeast Asian Art auction ever held at Sotheby’s, it will be led by modern Indonesian and Filipino masterpieces: Hendra Gunawan’s Pandawa Dadu (The Dice Game from the Mahabharata Epic), one of only two large-format works on the Hindu epic by the artist ever to appear in the market, and Muslim Betrothal by Carlos Villaluz Francisco, the most iconic masterpiece by the national artist of the Philippines ever to appear at auction.

Mok Kim Chuan, Sotheby’s Head of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art, says, “This year’s Southeast Asian Art Spring Sale is unprecedented in size and scope, with more than 250 lots from across the region. In addition to important masterworks from Indonesia and the Philippines, we are proud to present a refined selection of important modern paintings of utmost rarity and the finest quality by pioneering Singaporean artists including Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen. We are truly privileged to present an exceptional assemblage of 38 works from the distinguished collection of the late Professor Arthur Lim, known as “the son of Singapore” and a true patron of the arts.”

Major Highlights Include:

ICONIC MODERN MASTERPIECES & THOUGHT-PROVOKING CONTEMPORARY CREATION
[Evening Sale, 4 April]
Hendra Gunawan (1918 – 1983) Pandawa Dadu (The Dice Game from the Mahabharata Epic) 1971, oil on canvas, 202 x 386 cm Estimate upon request
Leading the sale this season is modern Indonesian artist Hendra Gunawan’s 1971 masterpiece Pandawa Dadu (The Dice Game from the Mahabharata Epic), one of only two large-format works on this subject matter by the artist to be offered in the market. The title Pandawa Dadu or ‘Pandawa’s Dice’ describes a pivotal moment in the immortal Hindu epic The Mahabharata, and this particular subject matter reflects Gunawan’s devotion for history painting and Hindi-Indonesian literature. This fresh-to-the-market painting is rich with references to ancient mythology, literature, philosophy and theatre, and is one of the most striking and studied works from the artist’s oeuvre.

[Evening Sale, 4 April]
Carlos Villaluz Francisco (1912 – 1969) Muslim Betrothal 1958, oil on canvas, 109.5 x 176 cm Estimate upon request
This spring, Sotheby’s is honoured to present Carlos Villaluz Francisco’s Muslim Betrothal, the most iconic masterpiece by the artist ever to come to auction. Francisco, more commonly known as Botong, was the distinguished muralist and national artist of the Philippines who revolutionised the nation’s art landscape. Together with his contemporaries Galo Ocampo and Victorio Edades, Botong formed the modernist group The Triumvirate, which aimed to depart from the prevailing romantic, pastoral style pioneered by Fernando Amorsolo. Botong dedicated his life to depicting the realities of his homeland, a commitment that is evident, then, in the incredibly rare, stellar example, Muslim Betrothal. The expansive oil painting depicts a young couple accepting blessings from an imam at an engagement ceremony practiced by the Tausug tribe in the Philippines. Painted in great detail, the work provides insight into the rituals of the betrothal, a true-to-life, microcosmic moment forming part of the Philippines holistic life story that Botong sought to tell.

Botong’s masterworks, particularly those addressing his most beloved themes, are primarily held by private collections and institutions and rarely seen in the market. The inclusion of Muslim Betrothal in the upcoming auction will undoubtedly represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for discerning collectors.

[Evening Sale, 4 April]
Ronald Ventura (b. 1973) HALO 2013, oil on canvas, 235 x 366 cm Est. HK$900,000 – 1.5 million / US$ 117,000-194,000
HALO, the largest work to have ever been painted by Ronald Ventura, incorporates the pop culture imagery that has occupied the artist’s oeuvre in recent years. Amid fantastical images of balloons, a Ferris wheel and splashes of neon colour, the Filipino contemporary artist depicts a young girl cradling her face in her hands. Once again, the artist employs a child – a frequent motif – as the relatable narrator and anchor of the work. Another deliberate addition, the ocean, serves as a metaphor for the human psyche. The purposeful pairing of the young girl and vast ocean alludes to a profound, ominous psychology that belies the painting’s colourful palette. HALO invites viewers to discern Ventura’s message, hidden beneath the layers of images.

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE PROFESSOR ARTHUR LIM
Sotheby’s will present a spectacular assemblage of 38 works from the distinguished collection of the late Professor Arthur Lim, an ophthalmologist esteemed on a national and global level. Unstinting and diverse, the collection – including paintings by Affandi, Srihadi Sudarsono, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and more - was developed by the connoisseur who possessed an insatiable curiosity for the pan-Asian aesthetic, an unyielding patriotic dedication to his native Singapore, and a truly original and astute taste for masterpieces.

[Evening Sale, 4 April]
Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres (1880 – 1958) Dancers Oil on canvas, 100 x 119.5 cm HK$ 4 – 6 million / US$520,000-775,000
Dancers is a quintessential work by Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merprés which rejoices the artist’s most beloved motifs: nature and dance. Captivated by the unadulterated beauty he discovered in Bali during his first visit in 1929, the Belgianborn artist decided to migrate to the exotic Indonesian island in 1932. It is clear that through his aesthetic process of capturing the splendours of the island, Le Mayeur truly assimilated into Indonesian culture. Incandescent, warm and inviting, Dancers radiates with vibrancy and joy. It is truly telling of Le Mayeur’s love for Bali, an environment that brought the artist absolute bliss and liberation so tangible in his aesthetic expressions.

AN EXCEPTIONAL GROUP OF MODERN SINGAPOREAN WORKS
The three Singaporean modern artists featured in the Evening Sale are highly regarded as pioneers in the country’s modernist movement, each having left his or her own distinct mark on the Southeast Asian art historical canon. Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Wen Hsi and Georgette Chen were key members of Singapore’s influential Nanyang art group whose impact on the country’s artistic heritage remains evident today. During the 1940s, these three artists migrated from China to Singapore, where they garnered deep inspiration from the attractive and diverse cultural landscape of the city-state. Highlights from the group include a cubism-inspired piece by Chen Wen Hsi, an early portrait by Cheong Soo Pieng, and a rare self-portrait by Georgette Chen – perhaps the only one by the artist in a private collection.

EXPRESSIONS: ABSTRACT ART FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA
Abstract Art in Southeast Asia has developed throughout the years. More recently, with the advent of globalisation, art from the region is no longer a byproduct of Western ideals, nor does it reside within a vacuum of preexisting notions and expectations. A political movement as much as an aesthetic one, Southeast Asian abstract art has been seen as provocative, subversive, philosophical, and as a thoroughly refreshing change from existing paradigms. This spring, the story of this growth will be chronicled in the work of a select group of artists featured in Expressions: Abstract Art from Southeast Asia in the 5 April Day Sale. Pieces by modern artists Fernando Zobel and Cheong Soo Pieng will be featured alongside contemporary artist such as Jigger Cruz, Ay Tjoe Christine and Jane Lee, whom have redefined abstract art in a Southeast Asian context.