Lotus Flowers
Zao Wou-ki
1952
- YEAR:1952
- MEDIUM:Oil on canvas
- DIMENSIONS:38 x 46 cm
Introduction
Lotus Flowers represents a pivotal turning point in Zao Wou-Ki’s oeuvre and a quintessential example of his “Klee period.” The painting vividly bears witness to the artist’s rediscovery of his Chinese cultural traditions, a process inspired by Paul Klee, and its creative transformation within the framework of Western modern art. In the painting, elements such as lotus flowers, fruits, and cups are distilled into symbolic visual signs, resembling ancient carvings. Against a bright yellow background, they evoke a sense of ethereal and poetic reflection. Flecks of red and green emerge subtly, interweaving with archaic lines and symbols to create a serene and mysterious atmosphere, constructing an aesthetic dialogue that bridges the ancient and the modern, between representational expression and abstraction.
