Zao Wou-Ki Beauregard

Etching and aquatint, 1981

Edition of 40 (31/40)

Publisher: Maeght (Paris)

Printer: Atelier Lacourière et Frélaut (Paris)

Catalogue: Agerup 310

38.00 cm × 28.00 cm (sheet size)

25.00 cm × 19.00 cm (image size)

Signed in pencil

Certificate of Authenticity included

Condition: Excellent

Arches paper

Artwork Description

"Beauregard" is a deeply poetic work by Zao Wou-Ki, where he explored the fusion of poetry and printmaking.

This piece was created in resonance with the literary world of French poet
Philippe Jaccottet.

For Zao Wou-Ki, printmaking was not merely a reproduction technique, but a significant means of expression to inscribe space and breath onto paper.

In this work, delicate etching lines and soft gradations overlap, creating a quietly unfolding inner landscape.

The deep shadows of black sometimes evoke mist, trees, or the flow of wind, but no concrete subject is fixed there.

Viewers are invited to explore the space freely with their own memories and senses, as their gaze drifts across the canvas.

Zao Wou-Ki's work is deeply imbued with the philosophy of "ma" (empty space), akin to Chinese calligraphy and ink painting.

Blank space is not merely an absence, but an important element that conveys light, air, and silence.

Thus, in this work, the "undepicted space" creates a richer expanse than the depicted parts.

Furthermore, due to its nature as a collaboration with poetry, this work possesses a unique tranquility.

Rather than an intense composition, the canvas is formed by a gentle, breath-like rhythm, leading the viewer into a meditative state.

Throughout his life, Zao Wou-Ki sought to depict

nature,
light,
time,
and presence.

"Beauregard" is another excellent work that sublimates sensations beyond words into a delicate spatial expression through printmaking.

Title Explanation

Beauregard

is French for:

• "beautiful view"
• "beautiful scenery"
• "good vista"

Etymologically, it consists of

• beau (beautiful)
• regard (gaze/seeing)

However, in the context of this work, it functions as a title that evokes

"the poetry of seeing itself,"

rather than simply a depiction of a landscape.

It resonates deeply with Zao Wou-Ki's abstract spaces.

"Beauregard (Beautiful View)"