Foret de Bambou by Zhao Wou-Ki (1920-2013) sold for $747,562 at a contemporary art sale at Sotheby's Hong Kong on January 23.

The painting, produced in 1954, dates to a phase in the artist's career when he shifted his style towards pure abstraction.

Foret de Bambou was influenced by both Western contemporary and traditional Chinese painting

It draws its influence from traditional Chinese ink painting and calligraphy, while at the same time being influenced by the American abstract expressionists and Paul Klee in particular.

Wou-Ki moved to Paris in 1948, where he exhibited widely and received recognition from some of the greatest painters of that era, including Picasso.

A second work by Wou-Ki, titled 07.08.74 - 24.08.77, made $701,162.

07.08.74 - 24.08.77 dates to 1974, when Wou-Ki returned to China following the death of his wife

It was produced in 1974 - two years after the suicide of his second wife Chan Mei-Kam in New York.

His paintings from that era were largely produced using the wash technique and appear deeply introspective, characterised by empty space in the centre of the canvas.

His auction record was set for 10.6.68, which made $8.8m at Christie's New York in 2011.

Anselm Kiefer's Domenica Della Palm made $438,226.

The work is one of a series that explores the palm motif, symbolic of the Christian resurrection story, in relation to German history and the legacy of the Nazis.

Kiefer's auction record was set at $3.6m for To the Unknown Frontier, at Christie's New York in 2011.

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