Wou-Ki

At the School of Fine Arts in Hangzhou, China, Zao Wou-Ki studied traditional Chinese and Western painting techniques. He arrived in Paris during April 1948 and discovered European lyrical abstraction. In 1949, he began making prints, publishing them with poems. Before transitioning to abstract aesthetics in 1953, Zao Wou-Ki primarily painted figurative elements and used titles related to contemporary objects, influenced by archaic Chinese characters.His paintings, since the 1960s, have centered on space and motion, featuring forms that resemble sparkling streams or molten lava. In 1971, the artist returned to using Chinese ink painting techniques that he had stopped using in 1948 when he arrived in France to avoid being categorized as a Chinese artist. After his wife passed away in March 1972, he finally returned to China for the first time since 1948. After his visit, he painted larger formats, including dyptics and tryptics, creating tribute to those who had inspired him in his youth. Zao Wou-Ki’s work is recognized and showcased worldwide, particularly at the 1996 Venice Biennale.