29.01.64: Zao Wou-Ki at the Crossroads

Eric Chang, Head of Asian 20th Century and Contemporary Art at Christie’s in Hong Kong, on a masterwork by the artist who bridged East and West. Born in China in 1920, Zao Wou-Ki moved to France in 1948. In his formative years he was inspired by artists such as Matisse and Picasso, and he continued to be influenced by Western Modernism and the work of the Impressionists and Expressionists. Following his move to Paris, his paintings shifted toward abstraction. Zao’s art has deep roots in the landscape painting tradition of China’s Song and Yuan dynasties. The vertical composition of 29.01.64 recalls 11th-century landscapes including those of Gui Xi, punctuated with high mountains and trees. While it gives full freedom to abstraction, one can detect in 29.01.64 the outlines of natural elements. Find out more: http://ift.tt/2Ajbj0H