According to Leymarie Zao Wou-ki created several small but delicate oil paintings in 1968, featuring either snowflakes or black ribbon patterns. As he moved from the small format to larger canvases, these were transformed into big rivers, or scenes reminiscent of Song dynasty Fan K'ouan's towering mountainscapes, or plain admiration for Mi Fou, with interwoven patterns of black and white1. As Zao Wou-ki moved into his mature period during this decade of the 60s, he drew inspiration from myriad sources. However, unfortunate events that filled his life during those same years caused him to retreat into the solitary world of painting for solace.

From the peace he found through his painting, Zao Wou-ki was able to weave colors and lines into a vast universe. The work"26.1.68"has a lively rhythm that recalls ocean currents, fog swirls and cloud formations, coming in powerful waves. Taking turns to condense, expand, sometimes sparse, at other times full and ample, they harmoniously fill a fantastical world of imagination. In a parallel universe underlying the works, the artist's emotions run rampant, expelling the burdens of his heart. The intensity of the work and the easy strength of the brushstrokes produce a feast of color and poetry that can be deeply felt by the audience.

1 Jean Leymarie, Zao Wou-ki, Edition Cercle d'Art, Paris, 1986