Lovers of abstract art will be happy to learn that works by the late French-Chinese painter Zao Wou-Ki will be on display at the STPI Creative Workshop & Gallery till August 27. Titled “Zao Wou-Ki: No Boundaries”, the annual special exhibition by the gallery, will showcase more than 40 pieces of art from his five decades as an artist.

The art works that range from prints to ink, watercolors and paintings, are on loan to the gallery from a private collection. Few may have known of his printmaking, which is a reflection of Zao’s constant quest in nurturing his creativity. One constant in his art was the strength, versatility and development that was the result of him marrying French and Chinese traditions.

You could describe his art as a narrative on his life itself, where he was bound by two traditions. Even critics found it hard to categorize him as an artist, causing one critic, Wim Toesbosch, to remark that he was unable to decide if the artist was “[the] most Western of all Chinese painters…” or as “the most Chinese of all Parisian painters.” Truth be told, there may never be another artist who will be able to join him in this regard as a peer.

Inspired by other master painters such as Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso, Zao adapted Western painting techniques by incorporating the abstraction within Chinese calligraphy — something that he discovered. “My paintings become an indicator of my emotional life, because in them I revealed my feelings and state of mind with no inhibition whatsoever” mused Zao, on his artwork.

To learn more about Zao Wou-Ki: No Boundaries, visit STPI Creative Workshop & Gallery.