ILLUSTRATED:
Zao Wou-ki, Editions Cercle d'Art, Paris, 1986,black-and-white illustrated, no. 318, p. 323

This painting will be included in the forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné compiled by Madame Françoise Marquet and Monsieur Yann Hendgen.

Paintings should make people look at things differently,
see things from the perspective of the paintings.

- Zao Wou-ki

A MASTERPIECE OF SHINING ELEGANT GOLDEN

A strong ink brushstroke emerges from the shining elegant golden line, unfolding into an impressive, noble, and macrographic realm for the spirit. “09.02.60” is an iconic piece by Zao Wou-ki from the early 1960s. In a rare atmosphere of calm, the piece displays the beauty of symbols shown in the artist’s early ‘oracle era’ with the freedom and fluidity of abstract art, both exhibiting the grand momentum of the universe, and the extraordinary grace that the artist naturally displayed. This piece combines cultural meanings from many angles, opening up a complex, multi-layered spiritual journey.

THE LONG JOURNEY OF A MASTER

In ancient times, wise sages had found truths in nature. Zao Wou-ki loved to travel, he visited mountains and rivers in nature, and also plunged into the sea of knowledge in museums around the world. From these travels, he gained spiritual inspiration, which was refined into endless creative energy. In 1951, his fourth year since crossing the seas all the way from China to Paris, Zao Wou-ki traveled to Switzerland to attend the opening ceremony of his prints exhibition, where he encountered the paintings of Paul Klee in Beaune. At the time, Zao Wou-ki was already deeply inspired by the works of Paul Cézanne, and thought about breaking away from Natural Realism. Kree simplified forms into symbols to create mysterious characteristics. This was a timely eye opener for Zao Wou-ki. With Klee’s simple yet moving vocabulary of symbols, Zao Wou-ki looked back to the ancient Chinese oracle and bronze inscriptions, drawing inspiration that deepened his pursuit of poetry in his paintings. Through changes in his brushstrokes, spatial arrangement, and reflection between what’s virtual and real, imagery that can only be understood but not explained were created, giving birth to his famed “oracle era”.

Since 1954, the world of mysterious, multi-meaning symbols created in Zao Wou-ki’s oracle era underwent another transformation, discarding concrete narratives in favor of pure abstraction. He once said, “Paintings should make people look at things differently, see things from the perspective of the paintings.” Through abstract art, he aimed to create a “language unrestricted by subject matters”. He took the best of both eastern and western art, and draws inspiration from ancient Chinese civilization to create the language of lyrical abstraction unique to Zao. But soon after, Zao Wou-ki faced marital problems with his first wife, Xie Jinglan, which eventually led to their divorce. The mental trauma had made Zao Wou-ki embark on another journey, this time with his artist friend Pierre Soulages. Together they visited New York for the first time in 1957, and fell in love with the popular Abstract Expressionism in the era. It wasn’t long before Zao Wou-ki met his second wife Chan May-Kan in Hong Kong. The couple moved back to Paris after getting married. Zao Wou-ki’s newfound happiness coincided with his career also taking off. He used even bolder, more liberated brushstrokes to reflect this period in his life. He stopped naming his work after 1959, marking them with the date of completion instead to avoid the restrictions titles might add to his paintings. These decisions fully display the ambition and confidence the artist had for his art to encompass the world and accept open interpretations.

NATURAL GREATNESS IN A SURGING ERA

In his later years, Zao Wou-ki recalled in his autobiography that the 1960s flew by as if he was speeding in a Porsche race car. He threw himself into painting as if heading into battle, expressing all the ideas brimming in his heart. He was very prolific, creating nearly 40 paintings in 1960 alone. Brimming with energy, “09.02.60” is the most ambitious piece of this creative surge: pure, intuitive, full of life yet humble, its calm and confident atmosphere shows a master’s spirit.

Zao Wou-ki used gold and ink black as the main tones of “09.02.60”. Elegant and multi-layered pale gold shines with an intricate glow, mapping out the universe’s boundless vacuum with noble grace, with an intangible energy hidden within. In the center, black oil paints resembling dry ink meets chalk white and pale yellow, blooming in a field of gold, sometimes as strong as a knife carving on stone, other times as soft as strands of silk. This fascinating clash merged into a patterned, sophisticated, and ever-changing energy of life. The image faintly shows symbols resembling those from the oracle era, adding an indescribable air of mystery that penetrates the endless depth of the space.

Unlike the passion, excitement, struggles, and clashes found in many of Zao Wou-ki’s paintings in the 1960s, “09.02.60” appears calm and collected, graceful and great. The horizontal rectangular construction is stable but not stagnant, containing but not flaunting the great energy within. The painting might not be as large as some of the ones painted after his new art studio was built, but the elegant glow that “09.02.60” exudes is like a holy emperor’s aura, powerful and noble. Amidst the thundering noises of the universe, that ancient and elegant aura shines through as if coming through time, filled with ancient wisdom. In a 1961 interview with the French publication “Panorama chrétien”, Zao Wou-ki said, “Although the influence of Paris is undeniable in my development as an artist, I would also like to say that I have gradually rediscovered the Chinese culture rooted rooted in my self-identity has become stronger. In my recent works, it is conveyed in an innate manner. Paradoxically, it is perhaps to Paris that I owe this return to my deepest origins.” (Panorama chrétien, 1961, survey on foreigners living in France).

“09.02.60” also reflects how the artist’s viewpoint was broadened through travel. It is a world where creativity runs free, drawing the viewer in. And so, mountains and rivers emerge in the image, as if the viewers are seeing it from an elevated position, welcoming the majestic mountains and waters. On the right, interwoven ink streaks are like mountain ranges with water flowing in between, and on the top left, steep cliffs tower by the abyss. During this era, though Zao Wou-ki did not consciously use ink wash techniques to add to his oil paintings, basic techniques honed by calligraphy training in his early years enriched the texture of the image through his sharp brushstrokes. The toughness and color palette of “09.02.60” is reminiscent of the “Travelers among Mountains and Streams” painted by Song dynasty artist Chu Ray, displaying the rocky scenery of “stones deep in misty woods” among a boundless golden shimmer. And hidden in Zao Wou-ki’s detailed thoughts is the ancient “one with nature” Chinese worldview, which gave his paintings everlasting energy. “09.02.60” contains culture refined through thousands of years that resonates from ancient times to today, and will continue on to eternity with noble grace.