Lithograph on Arches - 65 x 45 cm (size of the paper: 75 x 56 cm) - Literature: Agerup no. 394
Untitled (A. 394) by Zao Wou-Ki, a lithograph from 1998, offers a delicate blend of pastel greens and purples, evoking a serene, almost dreamlike landscape. Printed on Arches paper, this piece measures 65 x 45 cm, with soft, layered textures that suggest a gentle play of light and shadow over an abstract, organic scene. The lightness of the colors and the fluidity of the forms create a sense of calm and introspection, inviting viewers into a peaceful, natural realm that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Part of an edition of 99, this work exemplifies Wou-Ki’s mature style, where abstraction meets an intuitive representation of nature's quiet beauty.
Zao Wou-Ki (China/France, 1920–2013) was a renowned painter whose work blends Eastern and Western aesthetics, known for his abstract landscapes and vibrant color palettes. Combining Chinese calligraphic influences with European modernism, Zao’s paintings evoke a sense of lyrical abstraction and spirituality. His works remain celebrated in both Asian and Western art circles.
LithographLithography is a printing method based on the principle that water and oil do not mix. It can be used to print artwork or text onto paper or other suitable materials. Traditionally, an image was drawn with wax, fat, or oil onto a lithographic limestone surface or plate. Today, metal plates and other surfaces are also used in lithographic printing.
Lithograph on Arches - 65 x 45 cm (size of the paper: 75 x 56 cm) - Literature: Agerup no. 394
Untitled (A. 394) by Zao Wou-Ki, a lithograph from 1998, offers a delicate blend of pastel greens and purples, evoking a serene, almost dreamlike landscape. Printed on Arches paper, this piece measures 65 x 45 cm, with soft, layered textures that suggest a gentle play of light and shadow over an abstract, organic scene. The lightness of the colors and the fluidity of the forms create a sense of calm and introspection, inviting viewers into a peaceful, natural realm that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Part of an edition of 99, this work exemplifies Wou-Ki’s mature style, where abstraction meets an intuitive representation of nature's quiet beauty.
Zao Wou-Ki (China/France, 1920–2013) was a renowned painter whose work blends Eastern and Western aesthetics, known for his abstract landscapes and vibrant color palettes. Combining Chinese calligraphic influences with European modernism, Zao’s paintings evoke a sense of lyrical abstraction and spirituality. His works remain celebrated in both Asian and Western art circles.
I believe that all painters are realists for themselves. They are abstract for other people.
- Zao Wou-Ki
Zao Wou-Ki was an abstract painter and émigré to France from Beijing, China. He worked during the post-war period in Europe to create a synthesis of artistic aesthetics from both West and East in his art. He made a home in Paris in 1948 and became a French citizen in 1962. Zao Wou-Ki believed that his artwork reflected the struggle of expressing both his Chinese origins and the influences of Paris and European art traditions. His painting sales reached at least $90 million by the year 2011. Zao Wou-Ki created drawings and paintings that many have said were stylistically similar to that of Abstract Expressionists. He also said that Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso were artists who influenced his works. After 1959, he began to paint only abstracts and stopped naming his works with descriptions. Instead, he used the date of the completed work as its name. He created several works in the form of diptychs and triptychs. One is “01.04.66”. Another is “27.08.82”. These oils on canvas exhibit a visual struggle between order and chaos, which some liken to Daoism. Some describe his use of large areas of color as bringing the world of his imagination into being. In addition to oils on canvas, Zao Wou-Ki also created drawings using India ink or watercolor on paper. These early works have the sensibility of Chinese calligraphy and brush painting in that they are structurally balanced, with movement created by lines and brushstrokes painted with precise intention. However, they also are infused with the abstract expressionist freedom to use space and improvisational placements of dots and lines in complement to and regard for space and composition. Throughout his life, his art was a merging of training and life experiences from the Eastern and Western cultures which were part of his innermost self. (Artist website)
Art Informel is a French term referring to the gestural and improvisational techniques common in abstract painting during the 1940s and 50s. It encompasses various styles that dominated these decades, characterized by informal, spontaneous methods. Artists used this term to describe approaches that moved away from traditional structures and embraced more expressive, unstructured techniques.