Zao’s name in Chinese, Wou-Ki, comes from the Taoist concept of “endless, infinite” - a concept which first appeared in Lao Tzu’s “Tao Te Ching” to define the permanence of the universe. Being one of the most influential Chinese artists of all times, Zao Wou- Ki skillfully reflected the Eastern philosophy of Taoism through the forms of Western Abstract Expressionism. Having experienced much historical unrest and cultural mobility, he painted works that represent turning points during these transitional periods. From his earlier phase in figurative art, the Klee-style images suggested a lyrical abstraction that was essentially Eastern. Zao perfectly shaped an interpretation of Eastern and Western Art concepts through subtle imagination and his experiences of life, the universe, and more.

In 1970, Zao Wou-ki’s first autobiography published in France, it indicates that the artist’s accomplishment was generally acknowledged by then. Before that, the French television station had just produced and broadcasted a special series of Zao’s art in 1969. Earlier, He was invited by Japan National Museum of Modern Art for an exhibition, held his second retrospective exhibition in his life in Musée d’Art Contemporain, Montreal, there were as well countless invitations from all over the world. Zao thinks that his paintings created during 1960-1970 have received fruitful results. Many art critics also praised his abstract paintings from that period; he acquired enormous fame that he had never expected during that time.

Zao combined the essences from eastern and western arts, In the eyes of no matter eastern or western critics, his paintings are unique and extraordinary. As a world famed artist, his success is never by chance or accidental. This oil painting, “30.11.67”, was completed sometime in the late fall or early winter of 1967, at a point in Zao’s career when he had lived in Paris for 20 years and found his mature individual style as a painter. While an abstract work, the color and compositional structure of “30.11.67” immediately put the viewer in mind of a dramatic ocean view. The foreground is kept in dark shades of brown, interspersed with subtly blended hues of jasper, Prussian blue, lilac and pink, all applied in layers of delicate strokes that intermingle to form a shifting kaleidoscope of color – a reflection of the artist’s complex mood and innermost emotions. The blue in the left area dominates the canvas with its purer tones and intimations of turquoise and lapis lazuli, drawing the observer’s eye involuntarily to this visual focal point. This only serves, however, to immerse us in the larger image that is fed by the contrast between the blue, white, and brownish areas, each representing different aspects of the sea: its brilliant colors, its foaming waves, and its unfathomable depth. The overall effect is that of a strangely muted and peaceful amalgam of yin and yang - of harsh force and gentle softness - coming to life through Zao’s masterfully applied brushstrokes and expert use of color. Brimming with the powerful rhythm of Mother Nature, “30.11.67” conjures up the sound of the surf in our ears. Our heart opens up, and we experience a sense of calmness in the face of the ocean’s vastness: a glimpse of eternity. Among Zao’s work from the 1960s, this piece stands out as one of his more tranquil pieces.