Rating and value of paintings, drawings, watercolors by Zao Wu Ki

If you own a work of art by or after Zao Wu Ki, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers can offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on the current market. Then, if you wish to sell your work, we'll guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Cote et valeur de l'artiste Zao Wu Ki

The artist Zao Wu Ki has left behind a distinctive body of work, composed mainly of drawings and paintings. He is Franco-Chinese. The price of his works is now rising under the auctioneer's hammer. The price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €40 to €2,148,900, a significant gap but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Zao Wu Ki's works. He is especially prized by buyers from Hong Kong, Vietnam and France. In 2018, an oil on canvas entitled Juin - Octobre 1985 sold for €49,518,900, a world record to date for the artist. His value has exploded in recent years.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Style and technique of the artist Zao Wu Ki    

Zao Wu Ki is a versatile artist who makes extensive use of ink drawing, oil on canvas and watercolor. He synthesizes the history of Chinese painting in his canvases, first among the painters of the Paris School and then in the lyrical abstraction movement.

The life of Zao Wu Ki  

Zao Wu Ki is a painter born in 1920 in Beijing, into a very old Chinese family, cultivated and initiated in art. He is a great admirer of Mi Fu, master of silk painting. He works on calligraphy in his mother tongue, which he considers an art in its own right. He entered the Hangzhou School of Fine Arts, where he studied drawing, traditional Chinese painting and oil painting. He held his first exhibition in 1941, when his father bought him his first canvas. Needing other sources of inspiration, he turned to twentieth-century French painting.

After exhibiting in Shanghai, Zao Wu Ki moved to Paris with his wife. They lived in the Montparnasse district, which was at the height of cultural and artistic emulation at the time. He met the Giacometti brothers, and studied with Othon Friesz at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. He claims to have found his true personality in Paris, where he rubbed shoulders with artists from various currents: Pierre Soulages, Nicolas de Stael, Hans Hartung and Jean-Paul Riopelle.

He discovers Paul Klee and sees him as a mediator in twentieth-century painting.

This marked the start of an international career, with Zao Wu Ki working on his own style and entering the world of lyrical abstraction, a trend also embraced by Olivier Debré in France.

He exhibits on almost every continent and is extremely successful.

He received numerous awards and died in Switzerland in 2013, aged 93.

Zao Wu Ki's imprint on his period

Zao Wu Ki is a world-renowned artist. His work blends Eastern and Western influences, which has become extremely popular on the art market. Today, most of his works are held by private collectors. He is one of China's most highly-rated artists.

Today, the artist stands out on the international auction scene, and in recent years his works have fetched record sums.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Most of Zao Wu Ki's works are written in French and Chinese, and his watercolors are marked with a seal. However, it is essential to have your work appraised to be sure of its originality. And, of course, there are many copies.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a work by or after Zao Wu Ki, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it. If you wish to sell your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.