Zao WOU-KI (1921-2013), after - Lot 128

Zao WOU-KI (1921-2013), after Canto Pisan, plate no. 6 Lithograph on paper Signed lower right Justified 111/150 lower left Printed by the BELLINI workshop in Paris and published by Pierre BELFOND Plate size: 33 x 26.5 cm (Slight insolation) NOTICE Zao Wou-Ki (1920-2013) is a Franco-Chinese painter renowned for his abstract work, which fuses the aesthetics of Western art with Eastern traditions. Born in Beijing, Zao Wou-Ki grew up in Shanghai and studied painting at the Hangzhou School of Fine Arts, where he was trained in classical Chinese art while becoming familiar with Western art. In 1948, he moved to Paris, where he discovered the works of the great modern masters such as Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. His style soon evolved towards lyrical abstraction, where he developed a unique pictorial language marked by vibrant, poetic compositions, blending fluid forms, intense colors and subtle calligraphy. Zao Wou-Ki explores a visual world rich in texture and movement, where the influences of traditional Chinese landscape painting merge with the gestural freedom of Western abstraction. He is often associated with the lyrical abstraction movement, alongside artists such as Hans Hartung, Pierre Soulages and Jean-Paul Riopelle. His painting is characterized by a relentless search for light and space, creating dreamlike, meditative atmospheres. From the 1960s onwards, his canvases became more monumental and uncluttered, reflecting a quest for spirituality and transcendence. Close to poets and writers such as Henri Michaux and René Char, Zao Wou-Ki finds in poetry a source of inspiration and an echo to his own pictorial universe. His work is often seen as a bridge between two cultures, that of the East and that of the West, creating a harmonious synthesis between Chinese tradition and contemporary European currents. Throughout his career, he has explored a variety of media, from painting and watercolor to etching and lithography, constantly expanding his artistic repertoire. Today, Zao Wou-Ki's works are exhibited in the world's leading museums, and his influence continues to inspire generations of contemporary artists. His work embodies a fertile encounter between two worlds, symbolizing a form of universality through art.