Artwork Description

Title: Stone
Artist: Kai Zhu
Date: 2013
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 55.1 x 31.5 in (140 x 80 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Stone (2013) by Kai Zhu is a contemplative oil on canvas composition that commands attention through its striking simplicity and atmospheric palette. The painting presents a singular stone-like form levitating or emerging in a vast, textured field of dark blue and violet hues, enveloped by a twilight ambiance that invites quiet introspection.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Zhu’s work draws on elements of Symbolism and Lyrical Abstraction, using subtle tonal gradients and rich impasto to evoke emotional resonance. The central mass—ambiguous in nature yet monumental in presence—echoes the enigmatic forms found in the work of artists such as Yves Tanguy or early Zao Wou-Ki, while the quietude and tonal restraint suggest affinities with meditative East Asian ink landscapes.

3. Historical Context
Created in 2013, Stone speaks to a contemporary artistic sensibility deeply rooted in metaphysical and environmental concerns. During this period, Chinese contemporary painters often grappled with themes of solitude, permanence, and the natural world in transition—concerns mirrored in Zhu’s silent, floating monolith, which may suggest timeless endurance or the fragility of the human condition within an ever-changing landscape.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The surface shows no signs of abrasion, loss, or restoration. The canvas remains structurally sound, and the colors maintain their depth and integrity.

6. Artistic Significance
Stone stands as a powerful symbol of isolation, endurance, and the poetic potential of form in void. Kai Zhu’s contemplative approach and refined execution contribute to the growing body of contemporary Chinese painting that resists overt narrative in favor of quiet meditation. This work will appeal to collectors interested in emotionally charged minimalism and metaphysical abstraction.