When it comes to the name of Zao Wou-Ki, people often associate him with his sky-high-priced artworks.
As a special cultural project for the 19th Asian Games and a commemoration of the tenth anniversary of his passing, the Zao Wou-Ki Centennial Retrospective Exhibition is currently on display in Hangzhou in late 2023. I finally had the chance to witness his paintings in person, leaving a profound impact on me.
I am someone who actually does not understand painting, but I feel that artworks reflect the inner world of the artist. Therefore, before going to see the exhibition, I looked into the life of Wou-Ki. His marital life was very tumultuous, which inspired him to boldly create colorful paintings to express his emotions. Click on this link to learn more about his life: Zao Wou-Ki: Biography.
Zao Wou-Ki is a globally acclaimed Chinese-French painter and one of the most expensive artists of our era. The total value of this art exhibition is 50 billion Chinese yuan. Among them, the piece "Homage to My Friend Henri Michaux" set an Asian auction record for oil paintings, selling for 450 million Chinese yuan. When appreciating this painting closely, what is truly enchanting is the magical effect of color where it appears different from every angle.
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| Hangzhou exhibits Zao Wou-Ki's painting "Homage to My Friend Henri Michaux," which is the most expensive and the largest-sized oil painting he has ever created, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. [Photo/ Zhong Xiyue] |
Wou-Ki once said, "Everyone has one tradition, I have two." He received traditional Chinese education in his youth and later settled in France, deeply influenced by Impressionism and the paintings of his good friend, Picasso. His name "Wou-Ki" itself is interesting, as it means infinity in Chinese, proving prophetic for an extraordinary artist who embraced diverse cultural identities without being confined to any.
The exhibition, presented in six sections in chronological order, showcases Wou-Ki's artistic exploration at various stages of his life, featuring 129 oil paintings, important works, and relevant documents. Through the guide's explanation, I learned that in his youth, Wou-Ki actually rejected the traditional Chinese painting techniques, immersing himself in the painting skills of Western oil painting.
His passion for innovation led him to France, where he was deeply influenced by Impressionism and his close friend, Picasso, broadening his artistic perspective. As a result, he integrated Eastern and Western elements, creating a highly distinctive artistic style. Just like his name "Wou-Ki," his way is infinite.
Feel free to leave comments to share your thoughts on Wou-Ki's artworks. If you would like to learn more about this exhibition, here is a link: https://en.caa.edu.cn/events/the-way-is-infinite-centennial-retrospective-exhibition-of-zao-wou-ki.
It's very elegant art, but I still can't understand it, so I'm curious about what laypeople who don't understand painting can gain from going to the exhibition you mentioned? How can I watch it without feeling bored?
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