IMAI TOSHIMITSU

• IMAI TOSHIMITSU, born in Kyoto, Japan, received his training at Tokyo University of the Arts. His early works were influenced by Fauvism, and in 1952, he won the Best Newcomer Award at the 15th Shinseisaku Salon. In the same year, he went to Paris to study medieval history and philosophy. In 1955, under the influence of art critic MICHEL TAPIÉ, his style shifted towards abstraction. Imai exhibited at the São Paulo Biennale in 1953, held a group exhibition in Japan in 1956, and participated in the Venice Biennale in 1960. He received the Excellence Award at the 5th Tokyo Contemporary Art Exhibition in 1962. After 1970, he began incorporating text and Japanese cultural elements into his works, eventually addressing themes such as Japan's invasion of China and World War II. Major Collections: the Ohara Museum of Art; the National Museum of Art, Osaka; and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo