（The Way Is Infinite exhibition poster）

"The Way Is Infinite: Centennial Retrospective Exhibition of Zao Wou-Ki " opened on September 20, 2023 (open to the public on September 26) , and will last until February 20, 2024 at the Art Museum of China Academy of Art as a significant cultural program of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou.

Zao Wou-ki is not just a towering figure in the academic lineage of the China Academy of Art but also a shining star in modern art history. His works bridge the gap between Eastern and Western cultural traditions, creating a modernist Eastern style that allows the underlying spirit of Chinese culture to flourish in the fertile ground of modern painting.

Deeply rooted in Chinese culture, Zao maintained a close connection with his homeland and the people there throughout his life. He dedicated his life to interpreting the Chinese art spirit in modern language, as a fervent champion of creative adaptation and development of traditional Chinese culture. As an art scene linking tradition and modernity organically, the exhibition embodies a leap from the former to the latter, a practice transformation of Chinese modern cultural forms through the combination of these two elements.

(Chinese City, 1955, oil on canvas, 54 × 65 cm, private collection. ⓒ Zao Wou-Ki - ProLitteris, Zurich, Photo ⓒ China Academy of Art)

Zao witnessed the changeover of two centuries. In the 20th century, he was a great trailblazer for the Eastern style of abstract painting, and in the 21st, he was a purist when it came to painting in the complex modern art environment. Incorporating elements of Chinese culture into his works, he breathed new life into modern painting and introduced an exclusive, eastern vibe into art history. The ancient and modern, the eastern and western, were all brought together in his art.  As the brightest blossoms of Chinese modern civilization, his works also represent the pinnacle of achievement in the realm of modern art in the context of cross-cultural understanding and mutual learning between the East and the West. This is Gao Shiming's highest praise for Zao Wou-ki.

（Piazza Siena, 1951, oil on canvas, 50 × 45.5 cm, Collection of M+, Hong Kong, P.R.China, Gift of Mrs Sin-May Roy Zao, 2020. ⓒ Zao Wou-Ki - ProLitteris, Zurich, photo © M+）

Significant works to be on show include Hangzhou-themed pieces, such as My Home in Hangzhou, and Father's Garden, as well as his representative works like the triptych Tribute to My Friend Henri Michaux and Tribute to François, and the diptych Tribute to Cézanne. During the exhibition, the forum “The Way Is Infinite: Zao Wou-Ki’s World of Art” and the symposium “The Dream Quest of West Lake - Zao Wou-Ki 85 Workshop” were held at the China Academy of Art.

（My Home in Hangzhou (Ma maison à Hangzhou), 1947, oil on canvas, 65 × 80.7 cm, ⓒ Zao Wou-Ki - ProLitteris, Zurich, Reserved rights）

（My Father’s Garden (Jardin de mon père), 1955, oil on canvas, 38 × 46 cm. ⓒ Zao Wou-Ki - ProLitteris, Zurich, photo © China Academy of Art）

Editor: Jin Yingzheng (Intern), Bian Bingying