ZAO WOU-KI 1921-2013

Zao Wou-Ki is a major Franco-Chinese artist of lyrical abstraction, known for his non-figurative paintings that blend Western and Eastern artistic styles, and whose works are exhibited at HELENE BAILLY MARCILHAC gallery.

“People define themselves by a tradition. For me, it is two traditions that define me,” he said.

Close in style to the Abstract Expressionists, the lyrical abstract artist Zao admired the work of Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline. Born on February 1, 1920, in Beijing, China, he studied at the Hangzhou School of Fine Arts for six years and was influenced by the works of Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and above all Paul Klee.

He moved to Paris in 1947, became the neighbor of Alberto Giacometti, and befriended Sam Francis, Joan Mitchell, Jean-Paul Riopelle, and Pierre Soulages. Zao obtained French nationality in 1964. The painter and printmaker passed away on April 9, 2013, in Nyon, Switzerland, at the age of 93. His works are part of the collections of the Tate Modern in London, as well as the Guggenheim Museum and MoMA in New York.