Cheung Yee, Nine Purple, 1986
Cast paper on wood
64.5 x 44 cm (visible), 86 x 65.5 x 4 cm (framed)
Condition: Good, with mould on the perimeters of the work.
Edition 33 of 88
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Cheung Yee 张义 (Chinese, 1936–2019) was a pioneering Hong Kong artist and one of the first generation of modern sculptors in the region. Born in Guangzhou, China, he moved to Hong Kong at a young age and later studied at the Taiwan Normal University. In 1963, he co-founded the influential Circle Art Group, which played a key role in shaping Hong Kong’s modern art movement by bridging Eastern traditions with Western modernist ideas.
Cheung’s practice spanned sculpture, printmaking and mixed media, and is known for its strong material presence and textured surfaces. Drawing from ancient Chinese philosophy, mythology and symbols such as tortoises, crabs and oracle scripts, his works merge traditional cultural elements with modern abstraction. His later works, including the well-known “Crab General” series, demonstrate his ability to transform natural forms into symbolic and conceptual structures. Through a career that combined artistic innovation with teaching and cultural contribution, Cheung Yee remains a key figure in the development of modern art in Hong Kong.
Acquired from Galerie Du Monde in Hong Kong.
(Photographed in February 2026)