A striking and highly energetic ink work by Zao Wou-Ki, created during the mature period of his career when his return to Chinese ink had become an increasingly important part of his practice. The composition combines sweeping calligraphic movement with a powerful sense of space, capturing the balance between spontaneity and control that defines Zao’s works on paper.
What makes this example particularly appealing is the unusually limited presence of grey tonalities. Many of Zao’s ink works rely heavily on layered washes and softer gradations between black and grey; here, the composition is dominated by strong, concentrated blacks against the white paper. This creates an exceptionally graphic and immediate image, with greater contrast and visual tension than is often found in his ink works.
The work also benefits from a strong provenance and exhibition history. Acquired at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2026 and previously acquired directly from the artist by the former owner, it was exhibited at Marlborough Gallery in New York in 2008, Marlborough Monaco in 2009 and again in New York in 2018, with the work illustrated in colour in the accompanying publications.
Presented in excellent condition and professionally framed, this is a particularly strong and well-documented example of Zao Wou-Ki’s late ink practice, combining exceptional visual clarity with an unusually bold black-and-white character.
Exhibited
New York, Marlborough Gallery, Zao Wou-Ki: Paper + China, 16 September – 11 October 2008, p. 14, illustrated in colour
Monaco, Marlborough Monaco, Zao Wou-Ki: Ceramiques et oeuvres sur papier, 23 September – 20 November 2009, p. 10, illustrated in colour
New York, Marlborough Gallery, Zao Wou-Ki: Watercolor. Ink on Paper. Porcelain, 15 March – 14 April 2018, p. 23, illustrated in colour
