Zao Wou-Ki

Zao Wou-Ki (Zao, of its name, Wou-Ki or Wou-ki of its first name; Chinese 趙無極 or 赵无极), born the February 13rd 1921 with Beijing, is a painter free Chinese of the news École of Paris.

Biography

Born in a family from large well-read men, it passes his childhood to study penmanship, then 1935 with 1941 Chinese and Western painting at the School of the fine arts of Hangzhou, where he is professor of 1941 with 1947.

It is formed with the crossing of the two traditions which share the training of the young artists. The Chinese tradition (Song) and European academism, crossing Penmanship, Drawing according to model, Oil-base paint, linear and atmospheric prospect.

At 27 years, in 1948, it leaves for France. Arrived at Paris on April 1st, it settles with Montparnasse and follows the courses of Emile Othon Friesz.

In the Years 1950 and more surely still after 1957, it invents a plastic world, which touch with the atmospheric abstraction and which it paints today still, a world that the sign itself forsook towards 1974.

This way, however, is punctuated plastic and technical discoveries, with the liking of a long and scrupulous training, a methodical conquest of means and sources, alternating oil-base paint, techniques of engraving and penmanship and painting with the Indian ink well late.

In 1964, Zao Wou-Ki is naturalized French thanks to André Malraux. He is member since 2002 of the Académie of the fine arts and a time professor. He is even since 1983 recognized and celebrated in China, professor of the School of the fine arts of Hangzhou. He remains one of these figures which redefine contours of the currents of the cultures, as China can produce some.

In 2001, Zao Wou-Ki receives the Price of the Taylor foundation.

In 2003, the Gallery of Jeu de Paume, to Paris, devotes a retrospective to him.

Zao Wou-Ki belongs to the painters brought together for the exposure “the lyrical flight, Paris 1945-1956” presented to the museum of Luxembourg (Sénat), April-August 2006 ( Vent , 1954, of the National museum of modern art; boreal Landscape , 1954; Without title , 1955; Island , 1956): ISBN 8876246797.

Work

The first tables which it exposes into 1941 must much with modernity such as it perceived it through illustrations of books or magazines.

Its painting, a time influenced by Paul Klee, is directed towards the abstract. Its fabrics carry from now on for title the date of their completion. Coloured masses give body to a world in creation, kind of big original bang, where the light structure the fabric.

He often works of large sizes, sometimes in the form of Diptyque S or Triptyque S where forms and colors explode.

Its meeting with Henri Michaux pushes it to join again with the technique of the Indian ink, always developing abstract topics influenced by the rates/rhythms of traditional Chinese painting.

illustrated Books

Zao Wou-Ki in particular illustrated Gravure S and Lithographie S of the books of Henri Michaux (1950, 1981 and 1995), Rene Char (1957 and 1974), André Malraux (1962), Hubert June (1962), Saint-John Perse (1965), Arthur Rimbaud (1966 and 1967), Michel Ragon (1968), Jocelyne François (191), Ezra Pound (1972), Jean Lescure (1973), Jean Laude (1973 and 1974), Roger Laporte (1974), Roger Caillois (1974 and 1976), Léopold Sédar Senghor (1978), Philippe Jaccottet (1981), Lorand Gaspar (1981 and 1985), Pierre Lecuire (1982 and 1987), Yves Peyré (1988), Andre Velter (1989), Kenneth White (1990), Jean Frémon (1991), Khalil Gibran (1992), Pierre Seghers (1992), Yves Bonnefoy (1993, 1994 and 1996), Claude Roy (1993), François Cheng (1994).

Selective bibliography

Self-portrait , Zao Wou-Ki (and Francoise Marquet), Beech, Paris, 1988.
engraved work 1949-1954 of Zao Wou-Ki , Nesto Jacometti, Gutekunst Editions & Klipstein, Bern.
Claude Roy, Zao Wou-Ki , the Museum of pocket, Editions Georges Fall, Paris, 1957,1970.
Zao Wou-Ki , foreword of Rene de Solier, Gallery of France, Paris, 1957.
Zao Wou-Ki , postface of Myriam Provost, Gallery of France, Paris, 1960.
Zao Wou-Ki , forewords of Manessier and Pierre Schneider, Folkwang Museum, Essen, 1965.
Zao Wouki , foreword of Pierre Schneider, Gallery of France, Paris, 1967.
Zao Wou-Ki , texts and extracts of Henri Michaux, Michel Ragon, Claude Roy, Pierre Schneider, Myriam Provost-Douatte, Jacques Lassaigne, Gallery of France, Paris, 1969.
Zao Wou-Ki , Jean Laude, Knowledge, Brussels, 1974,120 p.
Zao Wou-Ki, the prints 1937-1974 , text of Roger Caillois, Arts and trades graphic, Paris, 1975,160 p.
Zao Wou-Ki 1971-1975 , foreword of Rene Tank, Gallery of France and Arts and Trades graphic, Paris, 1975.
Zao Wou-Ki, In torno Al gesto of the gesture, text of Gilded Vallier, biography by Francoise Marquet (in English, Spanish and French), Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona, 1978,98 p.
Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-Ki , documentation of Francoise Marquet, Editions Yesterday and Tomorrow, Paris, 1978 332 p.
Zao Wou-Ki, inks , introduction of Henri Michaux and dialog with Francoise Marquet, Éditions Rings art, Paris, 1980, not paginated.
Zao Wou-Ki, Paintings, Indian inks , introduction of Michel Tourlière, foreword of François Cheng, national Galleries of the Large palace, Ministry for the Culture and the Communication, 1981.
Zao Wou-Ki , Jean Leymarie, documentation by Francoise Marquet, Éditions Rings art, Paris, 1986.
Zao Wou-Ki , texts of Daniel Abadie and Martine Contensou, Ars Mundi, Paris, 1988,128 p.
Claude Roy, Zao Wou-Ki , Éditions Rings art, Paris, 1988 202 p.
Bernard Christmas, Zao Wou-Ki, inks , Séguier Bookstore, Paris, 1989,106 p.
Zao Xou-Ki , Lydia Harambourg, in the School of Paris 1945-1965, Dictionary of the painters , Neuchâtel, Ides and calends, 1993.
Zao Wou-Ki, work 1935-1993 , Pierre Daix, Ides Editions and calends, Neuchâtel, 1994.
Zao Wou-Ki , Pierre Daix, Ides Editions and calends, Neuchâtel, 1996.
Zao Wou-Ki , Yves Bonnefoy and Gerard de Cortanze, Editions of the Difference, Paris, 1998.
Zao Wou-Ki, colors and words , discussions with Claude Martin, Huser France, Robert Frélaud, Claude Delay - Tubiana, François Trèves, Agnes Varda and Bernard Christmas, seek It midday editor, Paris, 1998,96 p.
Zao Wou-ki, large sizes , Bernard Christmas, Éditions Rings art, Paris, 2000.
Zao Wou-Ki: What is abstract for you is real for me , Jean-Luc Chalumeau, Éditions Rings art, Paris, 2001.
Zao Wou-Ki , texts of François Cheng, Pierre Schneider, Jean Lescure, Guitemie Maldonado, Ministère of the Culture and Communication, Éditions of the Play of palm, 2003,242 p.

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