2024 China-France Year of Culture and Tourism

Thousands of invisible threads connect Hangzhou with other countries and cities every day, spanning decades. And it is we, the people, who weave this enduring intangible network.

Zao Wou-ki, a globally acclaimed Chinese-French painter, is one of those who, through his art, has been contributing to the cultural exchange between the East and the West for more than half a century.

He embarked on his journey at the Hangzhou National College of Art (now the China Academy of Art) in 1935, studying and later teaching. In 1948, he left Hangzhou for Paris to study, marking a turning point in his art and life.

"The Way is Infinite: Centennial Retrospective Exhibition of Zao Wou-Ki" Image Source: China Academy of Art

Zao Wou-Ki has become an international painter, actively exhibiting not only in China and France but also in many other countries worldwide. Now, his artworks are included in the collections of over 150 major art institutions globally.

Despite frequent travels worldwide, Zao Wou-ki considered Hangzhou and Paris as special places for him.

As a part of the cultural program of the 2024 China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, Hangzhou not only inaugurated an exhibition of Zao Wu-ki’s masterpieces at the Art Museum of China Academy of Art but also organized a series of symposium sessions about the art and life of the painter. We had the opportunity to participate in one of them, titled “Zao Wou-Ki in the Art World.”

On January 27, 2024, the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, scholars from France, China, and other countries were invited to explore the unique significance of Zao Wou-Ki's art. Below, we provide a brief overview of how the session unfolded.

While the symposium concluded last weekend, the exhibition “The Way is Infinite: Centennial Retrospective Exhibition of Zao Wou-Ki” remains open until February 20. Whether you are a novice learning about Zao’s art or already familiar with it, you "would be surprised to find a secret relationship between painting and Hangzhou," as Eric Lefebvre, Director of Musée Cernuschi, shared with us in the interview.