Zao Wou-Ki

Zao Wou-Ki (1920, Beijing – 2013, Nyon, Switzerland) was a Chinese-born French painter and printmaker, and a central figure in contemporary art. Trained at the Hangzhou School of Fine Arts, he moved to Paris in 1949, attending the Académie de la Grande-Chaumière and forming friendships with many French and international artists. Initially working in a realist style, he shifted towards abstraction after discovering Paul Klee, eventually embracing lyrical abstraction that fused Eastern and Western influences. Zao Wou-Ki achieved international acclaim, with exhibitions in major museums worldwide. Honored with multiple awards in France, his work also gained renewed recognition in China from the 1980s onwards. Known for his dynamic brushwork, vibrant colors, and unique sense of spatial depth, his art stands as a poetic dialogue between cultures and artistic traditions.