ZHONG CHENG

Zhong Cheng 2024 Autumn Auction「Modern And Contemporary Art」

  • Zhong Cheng 2022 Autumn Auction「Modern And Contemporary Art」
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    ZAO WOUKI (1921-2013)

    11.2.67

    1967

    Oil on Canvas
    74.5 x 61.5 cm

    Signed Wou Ki in Chinese and ZAO in English Signed on the reverse: ZAO Wou-Ki in in English and titled

    Estimate TWD 55,000,000-70,000,000
    USD 1,774,200-2,258,100
    HKD 0-0

    Hammer Price TWD 60,960,000
    USD 1,898,474
    HKD 14,941,176

Provenance：

Illustrated：

Exhibition：

Exposition：Zhong Cheng Auction can deliver a certificate from Zao Wou-Ki Foundation at the expense and at the request of the successful bidder.

Zao Wou-ki relocated to Paris in 1948, beginning a period marked by growingly abstract style and fascination with the oracle bones carved with the Shang dynasty script. His initial attempts to incorporate symbols in the 1950s cast an air of rawness characteristic of the primitive cave paintings and carvings, which suited Zao’s ability to capture the fundamental force and form. His move to New York in 1957 ushered in fresh perspectives. Becoming acquainted with abstract expressionists and their works, Zao decided to move towards a bolder style in a grander scale. In 1959, wanting to free the viewers from the confines of words, Zao decided to name his paintings after their completion dates. From then on, he eliminated all overt associations connected through the titles. In the early 1960s, the compelling vigor found in his early career subsided. His use of color grew gentle and expansive; his brushstrokes, though fragmented, exuded quiet strength. Amid a less intense ambience, light and shadow intertwine with the colors and structure. Like dawn, the light breaks with a thin veil of gray overtone, so intimate and yet aloof. This is the departure point from Zao’s meticulously manicured style. In its place is a versatile one brought forth through a highly idiosyncratic manner. His unrestrained strokes run wildly through the canvas, encapsulating the splendor of nature more powerfully than ever. In 10.8.67, another piece dated to 1967, Zao folded the canvas with wet pigments on it, creating mirroring dark blue patches on opposite ends like two rivals just being separated from a fight. The energy is conflicting with and yet supportive of each other. Meanwhile, the light and dark hues expand spatially, creating a stunning contrast.

New schools of thoughts emerged between the end of World War II and the 1970s. Reforms were inevitable in art and aesthetic theories, and they were quickly disseminated. Following Post-impressionism, Fauvism and Expressionism, Abstractionism gained momentum. Being the first Chinese artist to obtain a prominent status in the European art scene, Zao was neck to neck with abstract artists in Paris such as Henri Michaux, who saw great potentials in Zao. Michaux also wrote the poem that helped Zao publish the lithograph he created in Paris. Michaux observed that during the different periods, the nature Zao painted was a projection of his inner state. From the figurative to the abstract, from imitation to liberation, be it good or bad, abstraction is born out of what his heart desires. This exploratory journey, despite being a long and suffering one, provided the nutrients Zao needed. Ultimately, “Though confusion remains, it does so without hesitation; though agitation remains, it does so within order.”  Zao found the expression of his own, one that encapsulates and distills fleeting emotions with colors and lines on canvas. “Giving substance to abstraction,” that was Zao’s eternal pursuit.

11.2.57 is but one of Zao’s many paintings. Even sketches on a piece of scrap paper denote a segment along an artist’s path towards the summit. Career fluctuations do not necessarily reflect popularity. What is undisputable though is that when an artist paints with aspiration and conviction, each creation is the fruit of equal level of devotion and commitment that can only be differentiated by the artist’s inner transitions. This is a reflection of style, not quality. In 11.2.57, misty gray, dynamic gold and translucent white occupy the left, center and right, forming an energy flow between heaven and earth with outwardly rippling rhythms. The view is one that is all-encompassing. Seemingly lit from beneath, doubt and stun give way to discovery. The center of the image is densely layered with elements of nature. Appearing insignificant, they are in fact as lofty as the cascading mountains with downward strokes that drape like weeping willows. In nature, there is no death, only departure. Descendance is the prelude to the ascent that follows, which is not to be greeted with lament, but cherished with laughter. Gao Xingjian wrote in Critique on Zao Wou-ki’s Paintings, “He pursues form, and yet averted formalism; he is meticulous about colors, but what the colors concocted is his mindscape.” The inner realm Zao created needs no name. Even languages seem superfluous, for his paintings are the purest representation of his heart and soul. 

While the West was preoccupied by the philosophical discourse on abstraction, a fusion was subtly taking place. It was not Zao’s intent to reference the landscape painting tradition of the Chinese literati. Rather, he wanted to experiment with new mediums, techniques, concepts and aesthetics. The duel between the Chinese tradition and Western trends in the international art scene never stopped, and of course, the same contention took place within Zao. Yet, it was his calling to defuse such rivalry, fusing the two along the way. Zao and his paintings are beyond definitions. He was in a league of his own, so idiosyncratic in style and expression that he created realms with no parallels. Oblivious of the fast-changing world, he coursed through the inner exploration steadfastly, continuing to give substance to abstraction. It was a world in which he happily immersed. Zao had an insatiable appetite for knowledge when it comes to abstract art, and his relentless pursuit left nothing behind. He quietly infused the subtle nuances of Eastern ink paintings with abstraction until the boundary between the two dissolved in a universe of which he was the master. “When an artist let feelings flow freely throughout the artwork, that is a mockery to the so-called values and the fleeting life.” As Zao Wou-ki’s name suggests, his was boundless.

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