CNY 2021: 8 auspicious artworks for your home
PHOTO: Ode to art
PUBLISHED ONJanuary 28, 2021 5:29 AMByMelody Bay
If you’re looking to spruce up your home with a new piece of art, or looking for one to gift someone, we’ve got you covered. These artworks from Ode to Art are both classical and auspicious, making them a great centrepiece for your hallway or living room.
On Fire, 2020
Acrylic on Canvas, 120 x 180 cm
What better to usher in the year of the Ox with a bold painting of charging bulls? Created by Indonesian artist Tjokorda Bagus Wirtamaja, On Fire (2020) features bulls charging into each other in vibrantly-coloured acrylic. In his signature style, the canvas also features textured layers, thanks to his technique of layering colour on colour, sometimes coupled with the use of elements such as sand and pigment powder.
Prices start from $5,900
Red Wall, 2015
Ink and Colour on Rice Paper, 34.5×34.6cm
Created by Singaporean artist Hong Zhu An, this piece is both bold and minimalist. Hong’s style typically uses blocks of primary colours, and in this case red is used to symbolise prosperity and happiness.
Prices start from: $8,900
好日居 (Blissful Days), 2018
Ink on Paper, 94 x 106 cm
One of Singapore’s most significant artists, Lim Tze Peng is renowned for his Chinese ink creations of post-independence Singapore. Calligraphy features prominently in his work in a style known as ‘hu tu zi’, a technique where the line between strokes and abstract art is blurred.
Set against a background of vibrant yellow, Blissful Days is an auspicious saying that symbolises good times and prosperity.
Prices start from $8,500
Together and Sharing, 2020
Oil on Canvas, 120 x 120 cm
Painted with a palette knife, Indonesian artist Rujiman’s koi paintings are both abstract and striking. The heavy impasto and vibrant colour composition add movement and life to the painting, capturing the movement and texture of the koi.
Rujiman’s koi are always depicted in harmonious composition – swimming upwards, circular, or in the shape of an eight.
Prices start from $3,500
Harmony, 2019
Oil, Acrylic Resin and Metal Leaf on Canvas, 91.44 x 122 cm
The koi in this painting look almost three-dimensional, thanks to American artist Frank Hyder’s use of unusual materials like metal leaf and acrylic resin on canvas.
In his work, he aims to create a metaphysical reality in which forms seem to appear and dissolve, compelling viewers to take a second look and to think about it long after. Definitely a conversation piece your guests will comment on.
Prices start from $7,900
Tai Chi Pulling the Peacock’s Tail, 2018
Oil on Canvas, 80 x 160 cm
This painting is one of Chinese artist Yu Nancheng’s Tai Chi series, inspired by the sight of thousands performing Tai Chi at Tiananmen Square in China while he was growing up.
He uses vivid “China Red” to paint the figures practicing Tai Chi, with the colour reflecting a symbolic tribute to Asian culture and values. Through his use of impasto, he created a unique textured surface that illustrates the controlled movements in Tai Chi, and the gracefulness of the martial art form.
Prices start from $7,900
Robocat (Red)
Fiber Resin, 60 x 40 x 20 cm
The Robocat (Red), created by Japanese artist Hiro Ando, features Japan’s beloved cultural icon “Maneki Neko” (Lucky Cat), a recognised symbol of wealth and prosperity. It’s been given a tongue-in-cheek mechanical upgrade with a robot form and glossy red surface, a style typical of Hiro Ando’s symbolism and wit in depicting Japanese mass culture and tradition.
Prices start from $8,500
Healing Blossoms 2, 2017
Button & Pins on Wood Panel, 90 x 240 cm
A classical painting of cherry blossoms adds an auspicious, feminine touch to any space, symbolising new beginnings and the abundance of spring. Created by Korean artist Ran Hwang, Healing Blossoms features striking red against a background of white.
The piece was created in a meditative state, which plays a central role in the artist’s manual process of construction.
One by one, she crafted paper buttons, attached them to pins, and then hammered each pin individually into the wood base, a process that required concentration and discipline. The fragile nature of the buttons and the absence of an adhesive to bind them to the wood also represents the fragility and transience of both nature and the self.
Prices start from USD43,500 (S$57,924)
This article was first published in Home & Decor.