« I wanted to paint what can't be seen, the breath of life, the wind, movement, the life of shapes, the blossoming of colours and their fusion. »  – Zao Wou-ki

A painter of softness, nature and elegance, Zao Wou-ki has created, with the tip of his brush, a marvellous universe whose timeless beauty and accuracy never cease to amaze.

Born on 1 February 1920 in Beijing, and died in France in 2013 at the age of 93, he was one of the last great painters of lyrical abstraction. An international success, his work is striking for its presence and the powerful energy that emanates from it.

At first glance, his artworks may seem tumultuous, but in reality they are grandiose, orderly and almost solemn. A veritable whirlwind of colour and energy, like a resounding symphony, they have the exceptional ability to strike a chord with everyone.

These are not landscapes he is depicting, but pure, liquid emotion, applied directly to the canvas through the intermediary of the brush. The brush acts as a catalyst, an intermediary through which the artist transforms the material into something much truer. Through the action of his hand, the bouquets of flowers take on the form of bouquets of emotions, and the horizon becomes the mental map of his states of mind.

This abstract ink on paper, created in 2000, is a mature work, a quintessential example of Zao Wou-ki's radical aesthetic research. An ode to fragility, it is painted on a square metre of rice paper, which is extremely thin, demonstrating the artist's full technical skill. If the paint were too liquid, the paper would break irremediably, and a gust of wind, a wrong movement or a brush that was too dry would be enough to ruin the composition.

For Zao Wou-ki, the creative process is a solemn maieutic moment. At first, he sought to distance himself from the aesthetic teachings of ancestral China, but in the end he gradually returned to them. Embracing this tradition, which he mixes by confronting it with the radicalism he discovers among the artists of the New School of Paris, he creates a stateless and multicultural visual universe, whose blurred codes call for a certain form of universality.

Behind its apparent simplicity, this cluster of black spots conceals a high level of technical expertise and meticulous aesthetic research. The monochromatic composition leaves the viewer free to interpret, allowing a whole range of possibilities to emerge. The tempestuous succession of brushstrokes creates a panorama in which the alternation between thick patches and finer strokes produces a balanced result.

« Zao Wou-Ki verse l’encre sur la pierre creuse… Il décroche un pinceau dont la touffe blanche mesure une bonne quinzaine de centimètres… Il mouille d’eau la touffe… Il l’approche de la pierre et la mouille d’encre… La feuille d’encre est par terre, sur le parquet de l’atelier… Zao Wou-Ki s’agenouille à côté d’elle… Il faut, dit-il, disposer l’espace. »    – Bernard Noël, Encres, 1989

A gift from the artist to the current owner, this previously unseen work will be presented on the market for the very first time in November.

A perfect example of the undeniable popularity of contemporary Asian artists, the naturalised Chinese-French artist has rapidly established himself as one of the biggest names in contemporary art, as well as one of the best-selling artists on the secondary market.

Prochaine vente d'Art contemporain
Le mercredi 22 novembre 2023

Pour plus d'informations, contactez
Ophélie Guillerot
+33 (0)1 47 45 93 02
guillerot@aguttes.com