Zao Wou-Ki

Zao Wou-Ki was a Chinese-French painter born in Beijing on February 1, 1920, and who died in Nyon, Switzerland, on April 9, 2013. His family's origins trace back to the Song dynasty. In his childhood, his family moved to Hangzhou, where he studied traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy as a student of Wu Dayu at the Hangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. In 1948, he settled in Paris, where he established himself in the art world. Zao Wou-Ki blended both Eastern and Western art traditions, creating works that combined abstract expressionism and contemporary Chinese painting. In the 1950s and 1960s, he became known for his large-scale and emotionally intense paintings. Throughout his artistic career, he won many international awards and was honored with the title of Grand Officier of the Légion d'honneur, one of France's highest honors, in 2001.