Zao Wou-Ki, Canto Pisan (plate 8)

Etching and aquatint, 1972

Edition of 50 (42/50)

Published by Pierre Belfond (Paris)

Printed by Atelier Bellini (Paris)

Catalogue: Agerup 225

48.50 cm × 33.00 cm (sheet size)

31.70 cm × 25.70 cm (image size)

Signed in pencil

Comes with a certificate of authenticity

Condition: Excellent

Included in 'Canto Pisan'

On Japanese paper

About the Artwork

"Canto Pisan (plate 8)" is one of a series of prints created by Zao Wou-Ki for "Canto Pisan," a literary work by the poet Ezra Pound.

This work showcases Zao Wou-Ki's unique poetic world, where literature and abstract painting deeply resonate with each other.

There are no concrete scenes or figures depicted in the image.

However, through the translucent spread of blue-green and the rhythm of delicately layered lines, a space reminiscent of light submerged beneath the water's surface or fragments of distant memories quietly emerges.

Throughout his life, Zao Wou-Ki sought to express not what is "visible," but rather

Air
Time
Light
Presence

things without form.

This spirit is strongly evident in this work.

The varying shades of deep blue evoke water or sky, yet they are never entirely fixed to a landscape.

A remarkably free abstract space is formed, which can be perceived as the sea, mist, cosmos, or an internal spiritual realm, depending on the viewer's sensibility.

Furthermore, in this work, the soft texture unique to Japanese paper enriches the transparency and bleeding of the colors.

The delicate gradations achieved through etching and aquatint create a quiet sense of breathing, similar to ink wash painting, naturally fusing Western printmaking techniques with an Eastern sensibility.

In the 1970s, Zao Wou-Ki deepened his abstract expression in a more spiritual and poetic direction, and this work clearly demonstrates his mature worldview.

While it is an illustration for a literary work, it is not merely a descriptive image, but rather a visualization of the lingering mood and rhythm of the poem itself.

Title Explanation

Canto Pisan

derives from "The Pisan Cantos," a representative work by Ezra Pound.

"Canto" means "song" or "poem" in Italian,

and "Pisan" is an adjective related to Pisa, Italy.

Therefore,

Canto Pisan

means "Pisan Cantos"

planche 8

"Plate 8"

"Canto Pisan (The Pisan Cantos) Plate 8"