ZAO WOU-KI: MASTER PRINTMAKER Opens at M+ Hong Kong

M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) in Hong Kong, is presenting Zao Wou-Ki: Master Printmaker. The exhibition is Asia’s first major retrospective of the graphic works of Chinese French artist Zao Wou-Ki (1920–2013), one of the most influential abstract artists of the mid- and late twentieth-century. The exhibition traces Zao’s life-long printmaking practice, from 1949 to 2000. It shows how prints were a crucial dimension of his art, characterised by continuously experimenting with different techniques and styles. Prints also enabled Zao to collaborate with a global network of writers, artists, and other cultural figures, positioning him as an eminent cross-cultural figure. His work transcended boundaries, contributing to the post-war cultural landscapes of Europe, Asia, and the United States. Generously supported by Lead Sponsor BNP Paribas, and Major Sponsors AIA Hong Kong and Cathay, the exhibition will be held in the Main Hall Gallery from 13 December 2025 through 3 May 2026. 

Co-curated by M+ and the Zao Wou-Ki Foundation, Zao Wou-Ki: Master Printmaker offers new perspectives on Zao’s prolific printmaking practice. Organised chronologically and thematically, the exhibition features nearly 180 works from the significant collection held at M+, including prints, illustrated books, works on paper, and archival materials, which were acquired through a major donation to M+ by Madame Françoise Marquet-Zao, the wife of the late artist and Chief Curator and President of the ZaoWou-Ki Foundation. The exhibition also includes a selection of works donated by Zao’s daughter Sin-May Roy Zao, alongside more than fifty paintings, prints, books, and works on paper loaned from museums and private collections around the world. Among the highlights are seminal pieces such as Lecture par Henri Michaux de huit lithographies de Zao Wou-Ki (A Reading of Eight Lithographs of Zao Wou-Ki by Henri Michaux) (1950), Piazza Siena (1951), and À la gloire de l’image et art poétique (To the Glory of the Image and the Art of Poetry) (1977). 

Zao Wou-Ki: Master Printmaker explores printmaking as a medium that inspired and informed many of his experiments in abstract painting, positioning prints as an equally significant aspect of his artistic practice. This Special Exhibition offers the rare opportunity to experience the full arc of Zao’s graphic work, from his first experiments in Paris at the end of 1940s to the end of his career five decades later. The exhibition is organised into three main sections:

• Encountering Printmaking: This section introduces Zao Wou-Ki’s early forays into printmaking, beginning with his arrival in Paris in 1948 and immersion into the city’s art scene. Though already familiar with woodblock printing from his training in China, Zao learned new techniques such as lithography and etching from his peers in France. He described printmaking as ‘almost a game’, a more playful and less predictable process than oil painting. As his mastery of the medium grew, his prints began to attract the attention of art galleries and institutions. 
• Towards Abstraction: As Zao continued to experiment with printmaking, he began visualising elemental forces and the imaginary landscapes of his inner world. This shift unlocked new poetic and philosophical potentials for his art, marked by a decisive move towards abstraction. By this point, Zao was a highly experienced printmaker, embracing new techniques such as drypoint, sugar lift, and aquatint. His compositions from the late 1950s are characterised by dynamic gestural lines and bold colours, filling the surface with expressive energy. Many of these techniques and styles echo the ink painting and calligraphy he studied in China in his youth
• No Boundaries: The section presents Zao’s late graphic works, which embody a mature synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic traditions. From the late 1970s onwards, Zao approached both painting and printmaking with renewed versatility and freedom. He blended techniques from Chinese and European artistic traditions to express ideas of harmony, balance, and nature inspired by Taoist philosophy. Over time, Zao’s poetic compositions became more varied and his colour palettes grew brighter as he pushed the boundaries of printmaking.

Complementing these main chapters, three side stories offer deeper insight into Zao’s artistic process and personal network. What is printmaking? introduces the tools and techniques Zao used, providing audiences with a hands-on understanding of the medium. How does printmaking bring people together? celebrates Zao’s global network of collaborators, highlighting the lasting friendships and creative exchanges that enriched his work. How do poetry and prints enrich each other? invites visitors to explore how prints can connect text and images to create new artistic expressions. 

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, says, ‘We are thrilled to present Zao Wou‑Ki: Master Printmaker, the first major retrospective in Asia dedicated to the graphic art of this towering figure intwentieth‑century abstraction. By foregrounding prints, illustrated books, and archival materials, we hope to expand our understanding of Zao’s life and work. The exhibition affirms M+’s commitment to the cross-cultural dialogues that shape contemporary visual expression. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Madame Françoise Marquet-Zao with the support of the Zao Wou-Ki Foundation for her generous donations to M+, which have made this landmark exhibition possible.’

Françoise Marquet‑Zao, Chief Curator and President, Zao Wou‑Ki Foundation, says, ‘This exhibition is a tribute to my husband Zao Wou-Ki’s lifelong dedication to art. Zao considered printmaking as a realm of inexhaustible possibility. It is profoundly meaningful to see his graphic oeuvre presented with such depth at a global museum. This exhibition builds on the Foundation’s collaboration with M+ to ensure that Zao’s legacy continues to resonate with future generations, through research, conservation, and public engagement. I believe this exhibition will inspire Hong Kong audiences to explore his extraordinary life, career, and printmaking practice.’

Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+, says, ‘Zao Wou‑Ki’s prints are central to his artistic evolution. Through printmaking, Zao explored technical possibilities that deeply informed his painting—from the delicate tonalities of aquatint to the bold, expressive gestures of drypoint. This exhibition reveals how his graphic works served as a laboratory for ideas, enabling him to compress vast spatial concepts into intimate formats. By presenting these works alongside paintings and archival materials, we invite visitors to experience the dynamic interplay between mediums as well as between Chinese and European artistic philosophies. They will see Zao as an artist who consistently challenged the boundaries of expression and cultural identity.’

Dr Wu Mo, Sigg Curator, M+, and Yann Hendgen, Art Director, Zao Wou‑Ki Foundation, say, ‘Our curatorial approach highlights both the technical and the poetic aspects of Zao Wou-Ki's printmaking, grouping key bodies of work and archival materials to illuminate Zao’s creative processes. It reveals how his technical decisions led to the luminous geographies of his abstraction. At the same time, we invite visitors to discover the beauty and intricacy of printmaking itself. By foregrounding technique, we encourage visitors to see Zao’s graphic experiments not as peripheral to his paintings, but as integral to the conceptual and material evolution of his practice.’

Paul Yang, Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer, BNP Paribas says, ‘BNP Paribas is proud to support M+ in presenting the works of world renowned Chinese-French artist Zao Wou-Ki in Hong Kong.  At the core of BNP Paribas’ corporate philanthropy lies artistic creativity and cultural access. We firmly believe this further cements the bank’s commitment to nurturing arts community; and cultivating a vibrant cultural landscape that encourages dialogues and forges connections.’

To launch the exhibition, M+ will host an opening ceremony this evening. Attending the event are Paulo Pong, Chairman of the M+ Board; Françoise Marquet‑Zao, Chief Curator and President, Zao Wou‑Ki Foundation; Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+; Betty Fung, Chief Executive Officer, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; exhibition co-curators Yann Hendgen, Art Director, Zao Wou‑Ki Foundation; and Dr Wu Mo, Sigg Curator, M+; Brian McCappin, Deputy Head of Global Markets APAC and Institutional Client Group APAC, BNP Paribas; Melissa Wong, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer, AIA Hong Kong & Macau; Edward Bell, General Manager, Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications, Cathay; and Jean-Marc Bottazzi, M+ donor and member of M+ International Council for Visual Art.