Irene Chou (Zhou Lüyun) (1924-2011)Untitled
Ink and colour on paper, framed
Signed Lüyun (twice), with one seal of the artist
82.5 x 47.0cm注脚Provenance:
Collection of Rev. Fr. Peter Grice (1943-2019), Brisbane, acquired locally during the 1990s
Private collection, Brisbane

Irene Chou started her training under Zhao Shao'ang during the 1950s. Some of her more traditional works reflect a deep influence by the Lingnan school, a style which she continued to practice well into the 1960s. Concurrently however, Chou started experimenting with more expansive and abstract compositions. Works by her dated from the mid 1950s saw her borrowing elements from archaic seal scripts and incorporating modernist techniques such as collage. For the next decade or so, Chou continued exploring a variety of traditional and modern styles with no particular clarification of direction.

The current lot is most likely a product of this period's intense artistic output. Covered almost overall with layered splashed ink of turquoise and maple, the picture plane presents a vertical landscape of misty jungle. Elements of traditional Chinese painting persist: all the colours incorporated are from guohua, and the tree trunks and branches share the same method of strokes with calligraphy, as is exemplified by the artist's signature.

Predominately Chou signs the last character of her name, yun, in the oracle script. Only occasionally does she sign in the regular script, as is with most of her Lingnan-style works and some of her earlier experimental works such as the current lot. Curiously it is signed twice.

By the time Chou settled in Brisbane in 1992, she had developed a more focused and consistent style which is what we now recognise as iconically Irene Chou. She continued to paint and exhibit well into her 80s. During the early 1990s, Reverend Father Peter Grice discovered this painting in a local art gallery, and later sold it to a close friend.

For two other similarly signed experimental works by Irene Chou, Luohan and Untitled, see Lüyun Hua Yi: Chinese painting by Irene Chou , Feng Pingshan Museum of the Hong Kong University, 1986, P. 14 - 17.

Father Peter Grice was an avid collector throughout his life. His collection transcends cultures and periods. The majority of his Asian art, includes Chinese jade, and later porcelain, was sold with Bonhams Sydney and an outstanding success. See Bonhams, Sydney, Asian Art including highlights from the Grice Collection, 13 May 2020, sale 26269

周綠雲　無題　設色紙本　鏡框

款識：綠雲（二次）
鈐印：綠雲

傳承：
佈里斯本 Peter Grice (1943-2019) 神父收藏，九十年代閒購於當地
佈里斯本私人收藏

周綠雲五十年代間跟隨趙少昂學畫。其早期乃至六十年代一些作品深受嶺南畫派影響。與此同時，周亦在探索一種更現代的藝術方向。從周的一些五十年代中期的作品中可見其借鑑商周金石及西方拼貼藝術的元素。其後的十年間，周不斷吸收探索古今中外各種藝術流派為己用，風格多變無定式。

此幅作品可能就是此探索期間的一次嘗試。畫面以青綠朱磦分層潑彩渲染佈滿紙面，表現出一副秋山迷濛的景象。佈局取西方現代抽象寫意，以國畫顏料設色，樹幹及樹枝更顯國畫書畫同源之髓，與「綠雲」二字筆意如出一轍。

周綠雲作品的簽名中「雲」字多以甲骨文體簽就。早期嶺南風格的傳統國畫以楷體簽就，但也有少數現代風格如此幅用楷書。有趣的是，此幅作品「綠雲」簽了二次。周綠雲另兩件當代風格以楷書簽就的作品「羅漢」及「無題」，見《綠雲畫意》，香港大學馮平山博物館，1986，頁14至17。

1992年周綠雲移民布里斯本時，其繪畫風格已見成熟定型，八十歲後仍繼續創作展覽不歇。九十年代間佈里斯本神父 Peter Grice 於布里斯本當地一畫廊購得此畫，後轉讓於友人。

Peter Grice 神父一生熱衷收藏，所藏甚丰，涵蓋各文化、歷史時期。其所藏亞洲藝術，主要包括中國玉器、晚期瓷器，由邦瀚斯悉尼辦公室代理，廣受同仁好評，見邦瀚斯悉尼，「亞洲藝術：Grice 神父特輯」，2020年5月13日，拍賣會26269號