Oil on canvas

54×65 cm. 21 1/4×25 5/8 in.

Signed in English and Chinese on bottom right; signed in English and dated on the reverse

LITERATURE
1974, Zao Wou-Ki Pintura, Desenho, Gravura, Galerie Diprove, Lisbon and Porto, plate. 14
2023, The Way Is Infinite: Centennial Retrospective Exhibition of Zao Wou-Ki, Art Museum of China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, p. 202
2023, Catalogue Raisonne des Peintures Zao Wou-Ki Vol.II 1959—1974, Groupe Flammarion / Foundation Zao Wou-Ki, Paris, p. 229 and 321
EXHIBITED
14 Dec 1972 - 20 Jan 1973, Peintures de Zao Wou-Ki, Galerie Protée, Toulouse
16 Feb - 23 Mar 1974, Zao Wou-Ki Pintura, Desenho, Gravura, Galerie Diprove, Lisbon
5 - 30 Apr 1974, Zao Wou-Ki Pintura, Desenho, Gravura, Galerie Diprove, Porto
26 May - 26 Jun 1975, Zao Wou-Ki, Delta International Art Center, Beyrouth
20 Sep 2023 - 20 Feb 2024, The Way Is Infinite: Centennial Retrospective Exhibition of Zao Wou-Ki, Art Museum of China Academy of Art, Hangzhou

PROVENANCE
Galerie de France, Paris
11 Dec 2007, Christie's Paris Autumn Auction, Lot 15
5 Jun 2011, Ravenel Taipei Spring Auction, Lot 152
Acquired directly by present important private Asian collector from the above

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Foundation Zao Wou-Ki

Wandering Poetry at the Beginning of Creation Gives Rise to Countless Images
25.11.71 - A Match Made in Heaven by Zao Wou-Ki

Zao Wou-Ki was born in Beijing in 1921 and traveled to France in 1948, where he immersed himself in the spirit of modern art. Indeed, as abstractionism became increasingly popular in post-war Europe Zao's achievements consolidated his position and by the late 1960s, the artist considered himself to have achieved "unprecedented success." In Paris, his works were represented by the renowned Galerie de France, while in New York, he worked for eight years with the highly influential Kootz Gallery, which also represented artists like Pablo Picasso and Pierre Soulages. During this period, Zao was frequently invited to hold solo exhibitions at internationally renowned museums around the world. In 1968, he held an exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art, and the following year, one at the Musée National des Beaux-arts du Québec in Canada. In 1970, the artist was invited to create decorative livery for an Air France Boeing 747, showcasing his high-profile reputation. Clearly, this was a period of tremendous success for Zao Wou-Ki, in official, academic and commercial circles, establishing for him an important position in the history of Western modern art.

Zao's works are considered artistic treasures in both the East and West. As former French President Jacques René Chirac once said: "Zao Wou-Ki stands out from the crowd, with outstanding talent and mastery of Eastern and Western learning that enables him to blend the two cultures together ... the true essence of his work is boundless, leading directly to a world of dreams and realm of mystery". Chinese President Xi Jinping has said: "Appreciating the fusion of Chinese and Western elements in the paintings of Zao Wou-Ki elevated my ability to appreciate art". In 2023, to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of official diplomatic relations between China and France, The Way is Infinite - Centennial Retrospective Exhibition of Zao Wou-Ki was held at the Art Museum of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, the artist's alma mater, sparking public interest and discussion about rediscovering and re-understanding Zao's work, while also reigniting Zao Wou-Ki fever across Asia. The exhibition featured 129 oil paintings, five of which were chosen by the curator and gallery to be used on promotional posters and flags, representing the artist's achievements from the 1950s to 2000. One of those works was 25.11.71, which was created during a peak in Zao's career and is one of the highlights at the spring auction.

Images Emerge from the Flow: Rapprochement with Chinese Tradition

"I discovered in the pure white radiance of rice paper a calming serenity as after a storm... the effects created by ink and paper were unexpected and infinitely fascinating, as if my life became more relaxed... it was only when painting that I felt such moments of peace."
——Zao Wou-Ki

Although Zao Wou-Ki's career was at its zenith in 1971, his personal life was more complex as his wife of 13 years, Chen Meiqin, suffered from a degenerative mental illness. In order to care for her Zao greatly reduced his creative output, completing only 26 oil paintings that year, with 25.11.71 a notable highlight. It was also at that time, on the advice of his good friend poet Henri Michaux, that Zao returned to ink painting. This was a genre he had been familiar with in childhood but had abandoned after arriving in France in 1948 to avoid his works being labeled "Chinese sentimentality." He now began to explore the playful interaction of black ink on rice paper and the myriad images that emerged from the flow of water, reaching a new rapprochement with a nature long suppressed. In this way, Zao rediscovered a heartfelt understanding of the unique wisdom and language of Chinese ink painting. This included the aesthetics of empty space, the pursuit of vivid charm, winding lines and their shifting expressionism, and intoxicating misty water vapour leading viewers to an empty plane of spiritual yearning. All these elements once again permeated Zao Wou-Ki's soul. As he observed, "Leaving China allowed me to go back to China" and he took insights from this period and incorporated them into his oil paintings. Completed in November 1971, 25.11.71, is perhaps the perfect testimony to the artist's profound reconnection with the aesthetics of Chinese tradition.

Brimming Waves Delight the Eyes on Sunny Days, Dimming Hills Offer a Rare View in Rainy Haze

"Ru porcelain is the pinnacle of Song Dynasty ceramics, as exemplified by its ‘after the rain clears' hue ... It is said that this colour was inspired by a dream of Emperor Huizong. After heavy rainfall, where the clouds meet the blue sky, there appeared a smoky blue hue, with hints of light green, pale white, and light pink. Upon waking, the emperor issued an imperial decree: ‘After the rain, where the sky clears and the clouds break, let this colour be created for the future.' He ordered artisans across the land to replicate the colour and so Ru porcelain came into being."
——Writer Yu Junming "The Ru Ware Dreams of Song Emperor Huizong"

25.11.71, brings to mind the Ru ware dream of Emperor Huizong. Through the interplay of green, white, soft pink, and subtle blue-purple, the viewer is drawn into a poetic realm. The artist boldly divides the canvas into two sections representing sky and earth, the lower part being filled with intense and wild deep-blue and green hues subject to changes in brightness. These colours are accompanied by dynamic black lines, which bring into being vivid nature, akin to a lush green mountain range. In this scene blooming and surging black lines extend outwards from the centre of the ground, giving the viewer a "life-like pulsating sensation." The black and white colours clash fiercely and release passionate brilliance like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, almost as if capturing the life pulse of primordial chaos as the earth came into being. Above this, Zao Wou-Ki contrasts what lies blow with a serene world, which he achieves through multiple layers of gray, blue and white, to create an ethereal plane where one can almost see the abstract movement of air, or the reflection of a clear sky on the surface of a lake after a rain storm. The sunset glow illuminates and creates flashes of purple, while a gentle breeze caresses the water causing ripples. This is reminiscent of Zao's own words: "I have never really been interested in the sea, I prefer the calm surface of a lake, which contains mystery, and creates boundless colour transformations". In this context, the contrast of dynamism and tranquility, strength and stillness in the composition of 25.11.71, the thickness of oils and effervescent nature of the ink, together with the ambiguity represented by the surging energy and reservation, ensure the hues and lines come together in a way that leads the viewer to perfection, while guiding us into a world where fleeting moments and eternity coexist, calming our restless hearts and allowing the soul to find peace.

The Showcasing of Chinese Philosophy: Revealing the Mysteries of the Universe

"Inheriting the reverence for the sun, moon, stars, plants and the natural elements expressed by Song Dynasty calligraphers, painters and poets, Zao Wou-Ki adopted a new approach, employing the modern demand for formal aesthetics to express these things and thereby reflect the emotional experiences of modern people."
——Yu Feng, an art critic and close friend of Zao Wou-Ki

Laozi said: "The Way follows nature; the great Way is formless, giving birth to Heaven and Earth," whereas the Huainanzi states: "The Way begins in emptiness, which gives birth to the universe, and the universe gives birth to qi." In a similar vein Zao Wou-Ki observed "I do not paint landscapes; I paint nature" and these three ideas clearly resonate. In the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi, we find an early exploration of abstraction, viewing the Heaven, Earth and the Universe as a living whole imbued with sentiment and dynamism. As former China Academy of Art president Xu Jiang points out: "In Chinese philosophy, nature is the most essential Way and this is not limited to individual plants, mountains or rivers, but rather to continuous changes in the vast and boundless universe, where mountains and rivers are one, with objects and phenomena constantly interconnected." Zao's painting 25.11.71 mirrors this spirit. Unlike contemporary Western abstract painter Jackson Pollock, who embraced unconscious flow, Zao Wou-Ki consciously employs a macroscopic layout to depict a "nature" he thinks and feels. The elements within his work are interdependent and connected, forming a whole with zero superfluous strokes. In this way, viewers are able to establish a connection between their own personal experiences and the painting, feeling the poetic resonance and deeper meaning of the universe from the mountains, rivers, oceans and firmament depicted by the artist. The bold and magnificent energy of the work invites one to accept the beauty of life in a way that is timeless, making this work the best possible gift from Zao Wou-Ki to the world.

Price estimate:
HKD 7,000,000 - 9,000,000
USD 897,400 - 1,153,800