New center celebrates legacy of Chinese abstract artist

The Zao Wou-Ki Foundation and the China Academy of Art jointly launched the Zao Wou-Ki Research Center in Hangzhou on April 9. The center, housed within the China Academy of Art's art museum, will spearhead global research, exhibitions, publications and artistic events honoring Zao's legacy.

Zao Wou-Ki (1920-2013) is one of China's best-known contemporary abstract oil painters. He studied painting at the CAA in the 1930s and returned to teach there in the 1940s.

Since 2023, over 200 of Zao's works have been displayed at the CAA's art museum, showcasing his art styles and achievements in oil, ink-wash, watercolor, woodblock printing and porcelain. The exhibition attracted nearly 250,000 people in five months.

In the last two years, Françoise Marquet-Zao, Zao's wife and president of the Zao Wou-Ki Foundation, and Yann Hendgen, the foundation's art director, have donated 212 works of Zao to the CAA, including 10 oil paintings, 174 woodblock paintings and 28 ceramic works, demonstrating Zao's versatility across mediums.

The oil paintings include early masterpieces such as "Untitled Still Life" (1935), "My Home in Hangzhou" (1947), "Untitled Temple and Tomb" (1947), and "In Memory of My Sister Wu Hua" (1950). These pieces include still life, landscapes and portraits, expressing Zao's strong connection to Hangzhou.

Zao's son, Zhao Jialing, and daughter-in-law, Chen Mian, donated "Portrait of Lanlan" (1941), an oil painting Zao did of his first wife, Xie Jinglan, along with 17 archive documents.

The center aims to foster international collaborations between Eastern and Western art traditions, nurture talent with global perspectives and innovative approaches, promote cross-cultural dialogue, and highlight the Chinese role in forging global art narratives.