Description:

WALASSE TING (CHINESE-AMERICAN 1929-2010)
Two Parrots,
watercolor and oil crayon on paper
60 x 44.5 cm (23 5/8 x 17 1/2 in.) [sight]
framed dimensions: 79 x 63.5 cm (31 1/8 x 25 in.)
signed with one seal of the artist lower left

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Ouchi Family, Sevilla, Spain
North Miami Beach, Florida

LOT NOTES
Walasse Ting was a singular figure in 20th-century art, bridging the worlds of traditional Chinese aesthetics and the Western avant-garde. Born in Wuxi and raised in Shanghai, Ting was largely self-taught, beginning his career painting on the sidewalks of China before moving to Paris in 1952. There, he became associated with the CoBrA group - including artists like Karel Appel and Pierre Alechinsky - whose emphasis on spontaneity and raw, expressive color deeply resonated with his own artistic instincts. His move to New York in 1958 brought him into the fold of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, where he developed the vibrant, "neon-soaked" figurative style for which he is most celebrated.

This work, Two Parrots, is a quintessential example of Ting’s fascination with the natural world, a recurring theme alongside his famous "Cat Women" and floral compositions. Using a combination of Chinese ink and bright, layered pigments, Ting captures the playful essence of his subjects through a masterful economy of line. The soft, bleeding edges of the ink on the paper suggest the texture of plumage, while the bold splashes of pink, yellow, and blue create a dreamlike atmosphere. His birds are rarely just biological studies; they are expressions of vitality and sensory pleasure, rendered with the same "powerful and overflowing spring" of energy suggested by his Chinese name, Ding Xiongquan.

Ting's late-career works, often executed on rice paper, reflect a harmonious synthesis of his diverse influences. The use of a traditional red artist's seal (seen here in the lower left) anchors the work in his Chinese heritage, while the daring, almost fluorescent palette speaks to the influence of American Pop Art and his time spent in the tropical light of South Florida. This particular composition, featuring two birds in an intimate, mirrored stance, exemplifies the balance of calm and exuberant color that defined Ting’s mature oeuvre, securing his legacy as a "citizen of the world" whose work continues to captivate collectors globally.

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March 28, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Bedford Hills, NY, US

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