
Zao Wou-Ki represents the perfect symbol of reconciliation – Wou-Ki means ‘no limits’ in Chinese – a prescient forename for an artist who embraced different cultural identities without ever being beholden to one.
Villepin Gallery will open its doors with an exhibition entitled ‘Friendship & Reconciliation’, celebrating the late Chinese French artist Zao Wou-Ki, who was a close friend of the Villepin family. The exhibition will feature rare paintings by the artist from the 1950s to the early 2000s and will include a selection of oil paintings, Chinese inks, watercolors and private collection of the founders. An exhibition catalogue, featuring a presentation by Dominique de Villepin on the exhibition and an essay by Arthur de Villepin on the art of collecting, will accompany the show.






Born in Beijing, Zao Wou-Ki (1920-2013) worked predominantly in oils, watercolor and ink, but also experimented with engraving and lithography. Wou-Ki means ‘no limits’ in Chinese – a prescient forename for an artist who em- braced different cultural identities without ever being beholden to one. In 1948, Zao relocated to Paris. The French capital was an inspiration for Zao, who had idolized Matisse and Picasso in his formative years and continued to be influenced by Western modernism and the work of the Impressionists and Expressionists.


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