A lithographic legacy

An ongoing exhibition reviews the career of printmaker Zao Wou-ki, Zhang Kun reports in Shanghai.

Thirty-five lithographic prints by Zao Wou-ki (1920-2013) are on show at Shanghai's Bund 111 Art Space. The displays are arranged in chronological order to reveal three chapters of the artistic production of one of China's most prominent modern artists.

The exhibition is curated by France's Villepin Gallery, organized by Shanghai International Trust and supported by the Shanghai International Culture Association. It's open for free from Oct 23 to the end of the year.

"Zao built a bridge of art between the East and West," says Ramain Sarfati, CEO of Villepin Gallery, which worked with the artist for decades.

Most exhibits are from the Switzerland-based Zao Wou-ki Foundation, Sarfati says. The foundation is headed by the artist's widow, Francoise Marquet, who decided to present his art in China in recognition of Zao's wish to reconnect with his roots.

Zao used to say: "Everyone is bound by a tradition. I am bound by two."

The artist was born in Beijing and grew up in Shanghai. He was significantly influenced by French impressionists while studying at the Hangzhou School of Fine Arts (today's China Academy of Fine Arts), artist and scholar He Shouchang said at the exhibition's opening.

Zao moved to France in 1948 and joined the local art community, working and living among such neighbors as Henri Matisse and Alberto Giacometti.