VILLEPIN Following the opening exhibition in 2020, this time once again presents a series of wonderful works by the Eastern abstract art master Zao Wou-Ki to the public. The exhibition “Zao Wou-Ki: Return to the Soil” focuses on the master’s unique way of returning to his homeland after traveling in Europe and America, selecting oil paintings, watercolors, ink paintings, etc. from the 1940s to after 2000.
The works in this exhibition are relatively rare compared to the Zhao Wuji oil paintings commonly seen in auction markets. Zhao Wuji’s works blend Eastern and Western elements, with traditional Chinese elements still visible in his Western abstract concept works. Although he spent most of his artistic career in Europe, Eastern culture has always influenced the foundation of his creations.
Just like his oil paintings created during the “Oracle Bone Script Period,” the characters of ancient texts can be vaguely seen in the paintings, witnessing the artist’s return to the original source through abstract methods. Zhao Wuji used to study characters on Shang and Zhou bronze ritual vessels, inscriptions on gold and stone, bell and cauldron inscriptions, and oracle bone scripts, breaking down and recombining fonts. The mysterious characters of iron paintings with silver hooks, paired with the diverse Western oil colors, the style wanders between abstraction and concreteness, opening the door to the fusion of Eastern and Western art.
In addition, the exhibition also features many semi-abstract paintings created in ink or watercolor, in which the artists incorporate elements such as spirited horses, mountains, pavilions, and rural scenes, with a hint of traditional Chinese ink painting in the composition.
While living in Europe, he felt that the common Western perception of Chinese imagery was too cliché. As a result, he extracted suitable themes from traditional Chinese paintings and reinterpreted these heavily Eastern-flavored landscapes with his unique and unrestrained painting style. Zhao Wuji has mentioned in past interviews that Paris undoubtedly had a profound influence on his artistic development, but it also gradually helped him rediscover China and return to the most profound origins in his creations.
VILLEPIN conducts in-depth research on the recently discovered interview records of Zhao, and through this exhibition, brings to light a lesser-known side of Zhao Wuji, as well as his relationship with China, and even Chinese history and culture. The content of the exhibition differs from previous large-scale retrospective exhibitions.
The gallery has deliberately created an Eastern garden-style exhibition space for this exhibition, allowing the audience to deeply understand how Chinese culture has influenced Zao Wou-Ki’s creative career from early to late periods in a tranquil atmosphere. Art enthusiasts, do not miss this carefully curated exhibition!
“Zao Wou-Ki: Returning to the Middle Kingdom”
Date: From now until May 22
Time: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Location: 53-55 Hollywood Road, Central
Learn more and image source: VILLEPIN
