Master Printmaker Zao Wou-Ki in Lyrical Motion

Description

M+’s newest special exhibition Zao Wou-Ki: Master Printmaker celebrates the distinguished Chinese-French abstract artist, tracing Zao’s artistic journey and showing collections in dialogue with Zao, featuring a total of nearly 180 works. Familiar with woodblock printing, ink painting and calligraphy from his youth in China, Zao blends these artistic traditions with the European artistic traditions he later encountered, creating a unique language of lyrical abstraction.

Organised into three main sections, the exhibition begins with his first printmaking experiments after arriving in Paris in the late 1940s. The next section then explores his shift to expressive abstract works from the late 1950s. Zao’s works from late 1970s onwards are shown in the final section, putting in full display the most mature and versatile uses of his signature style. The show also touches on Zao’s life and famed printmaking process, introducing the tools and techniques used, the creative exchanges that inspired his works and an exploration of the connection between poetry and print.

In the opening talk Zao Wou-Ki’s Journey in Hong Kong, M+ Sigg curator Wu Mo, art director at Zao Wou-Ki Foundation Yann Hendgen and art historian Ankeney Weitz will discuss Zao’s visits to Hong Kong between 1958 and 1965, sharing how his experiences here influenced his works.

The talk will run on 13 December, from 14:30 to 16:00. It is free and requires pre-registration.