Zao Wou-Ki Untitled

Etching & Aquatint, 1978

Edition of 99 (83/99)

Publisher: Galerie de France (Paris)

Printer: Atelier Lacourière et Frélaut (Paris)

Catalogue: Agerup 298, p.164

75.50 cm × 56.00 cm (sheet size)

49.50 cm × 43.00 cm (image size)

Signed in pencil

Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity

Condition: Very good

Rives BFK paper

Two very faint foxing spots in the margin

This work is currently held by our partner gallery in France. According to French standards, the condition is good, but the criteria for evaluating the condition of aged items may differ between France and Japan. Please consider purchasing only after acknowledging that the item may show signs of age (stains, discoloration, folds, wrinkles, tanning, etc.) typical of a vintage item. We have not inspected the physical item ourselves. The work is currently stored in France, and delivery after ordering will take more than 2 weeks. Due to the nature of the artwork, returns after purchase cannot be accepted.

Artwork Description

In the 1970s, Zao Wou-Ki was highly prolific not only in oil painting but also in printmaking. This work, utilizing advanced printmaking techniques of etching and aquatint, masterfully expresses his unique lyrical abstract world.

The screen unfolds a vast space where light and shadow gently intertwine.

Dense areas of black and deep brown appear like rock faces or storm clouds, while the softly expanding bright areas evoke a sense of mist or light.

However, there is no explicit landscape depiction.

Zao Wou-Ki did not aim to reproduce nature;

He sought to depict the very

energy and breath of nature.

The delicately layered etched lines and aquatint particles, encompassing both serendipity and intentionality, give the picture a rich depth.

Despite being a print, it possesses a fluidity as if ink is bleeding into paper, revealing a spirituality akin to Chinese calligraphy and ink painting.

Conversely, the composition of space exhibits the dynamism of Western abstract painting, naturally fusing Eastern and Western cultures.

The untitled format is also significant.

Zao Wou-Ki avoided fixing specific meanings or narratives to his works, entrusting them to the individual sensations and memories of the viewer.

Therefore, this work, too, evokes different images for each viewer, such as:

• Earth
• Universe
• Light
• Water
• Wind
• Inner landscapes

This print, where tranquility and intensity coexist, is an excellent work that delicately and powerfully illustrates the core of Zao Wou-Ki's art:

"The attempt to paint the invisible."