Artwork Description

Title: Midnight 4
Artist: TUO Guangyan
Date: 2012
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 25.6 x 63 in (65 x 160 cm)

Artwork Identification
Midnight 4 by renowned Asian Modern & Contemporary artist TUO Guangyan is a wide-format oil on canvas, measuring 65 x 160 cm (25.6 x 63 inches). The composition unfolds horizontally in hushed tones, presenting a nocturnal landscape bathed in deep blues and softened greys. Along the middle ground, rows of tall, slender trees rise with gentle canopies—delicately rendered with leafy foliage that shimmers subtly under the moonlit atmosphere. The scene conveys a restrained yet poetic mood, where stillness and presence coexist.

Artistic Style and Influences
TUO Guangyan’s work bridges Chinese poetic tradition and modern abstraction. In Midnight 4, the artist draws upon the literati landscape tradition but strips away narrative and detail, emphasizing tonal harmony and emotional resonance. The softly delineated trees recall the dreamlike renderings of early ink landscapes, while the atmospheric modulation shows an affinity with Lyrical Abstraction and post-minimalist aesthetics. The presence of leaves—gently luminous, never over-articulated—adds life and quiet motion to an otherwise hushed setting.

Historical Context
The Midnight series reflects a contemporary return to classical Chinese motifs—trees, mist, silence—through an updated visual language. While older traditions valued symbolic expression in nature, TUO Guangyan reinterprets these values with an emphasis on experiential depth and meditative space. His work can be understood within the broader trajectory of post-1980s Chinese art that seeks to reclaim cultural heritage in the face of rapid modernity.

Provenance and Authenticity
Please contact the gallery directly for provenance information and certificates of authenticity.

Condition and Conservation
The painting is in excellent condition. The canvas is taut, with no observed cracking, discoloration, or abrasion. The oil surface is evenly applied and stable. Museum-standard framing and low-reflection glass are recommended to preserve and present the work to full effect.

Artistic Significance
Midnight 4 represents TUO Guangyan’s masterful ability to distill emotional and spiritual states into visual form. The leafy trees, painted with restraint and sensitivity, are not mere scenery but emblems of quiet vitality. The work offers collectors a contemplative, contemporary interpretation of the Chinese landscape tradition—where midnight is not darkness, but a space of reflection, continuity, and subtle awakening.

oil on canvas
2014 Poly autumn auction