Besides oil painting, printmaking is also an important area within Zao Wou-ki's ouevre. The prints from executed between 1950 to 1980 (Lots 2309- 2317) reflect his thinking and structuring of formal elements, irrespective of their periods, or changes between his figurative and abstract style. From the mid-1940s to 1950s, the famous textile designer Zika Ascher commissioned artists such as Henri Matisse, Henry Moore, and others, to create new and unique works. Zao was the only Chinese artist among those she commissioned. Created in 1955, Blue Scenery and Lovebirds (Lot 2308) were both printed on silk especially for the commission. In comparison to the direct nature of painting, printmaking contains additional procedures, challenges, and artistry such as the making of the plate, and the printing process itself. The indirectness and contingency within the creative process are dominant characteristics of printmaking. Zao's understanding of and research into the complicated techniques of printmaking allow him to create a wealth of expression within the medium, especially the honest representation of the changes in brushstrokes within lithograph, the rich and saturated colour combination within silk screen, and the refined grain and texture of etching. These works illustrate the multifarious creative direction of the artist, and display his achievements in creative exploration and changes in style at every stage of his practice.