IZUMI SHIGERU

• IZUMI SHIGERU, Japanese artist, born in Osaka. He graduated from the Crafts Design Department of Osaka Municipal Crafts School in 1934, and worked in the Advertising Department of Daimaru Osaka Store. In 1951, he participated in the formation of the "Association of Democrat Artists" and began making copperplate prints and lithographs under the influence of Ei-Q. In 1957, he received the Newcomer's Encouragement Award at the 1st Tokyo International Print Biennale. In 1959, he moved to New York, and in 1963, he moved to Paris, where he developed a style of geometric abstraction. After returning to Japan in 1968, he began using rulers, compasses, and airbrushes to experiment with abstraction without subjectivity. Since 1970, he had been a professor at Osaka University of Arts, where he has trained many young artists. In 2005, the exhibition "IZUMI SHIGERU's Legacy, 10 years after his death" was held at the Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama.

• relevant artists

  • MOTONAGA SADAMASA

    MOTONAGA SADAMASA, Japanese picture book artist and avant-garde artist. His wife is Etsuko Nakatsuji, a plastic artist. Taking the unknown nature as his creative source, he created experimental works expressing natural phenomena by using novel materials, such as hanging colored water in plastic bags and performances using smoke. Later, inspired by the tarashikomi technique of Japanese-style painting, she attracted attention with her fluid works in which paints were poured on canvas. In 1959, he exhibited his work at the Premio Lissone Exhibition (Italy), where he won a prize, and in 1961 had solo exhibitions at Tokyo Gallery and Jackson Mercer Gallery (New York). In 1965, he participated in the "New Japanese Paintings and Sculpture" exhibition at MoMA, New York, U.S.A. In 1966, he was awarded a prize for his work at the "Premio Lissone" exhibition in Italy. He received awards at the 6th, 7th, and 10th Contemporary Art Exhibitions of Japan, the 1983 Art and Culture Promotion Association Award, the Japan Art Grand Prize, and the Grand Prix at the Seoul International Print Exhibition; exhibited at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France, 1986 "Japan in the Avant-Garde"; presented "Gutai" at the MOMA and Guggenheim Museum In 2013, attracting a great deal of attention both in Japan and abroad, and in 2015, a painting measuring less than one meter sold for nearly 100 million yen at Sotheby's.　Major Collections: The Museum of Modern Art New York, Dallas Museum of Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, The National Museum of Art (Osaka), The National Museum of Modern Art (Kyoto), Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (Hyogo, Japan)

  • MOMOI YOKO

    MOMOI YOKIO, a painter born in Osaka, is known for holding solo exhibitions and participating in events at department stores in Osaka, Nagoya, Hyogo, and Nara. Her works often feature animals as their main theme, characterized by a blend of cuteness, mystery, and a surreal fairytale-like charm that captivates viewers.

  • YAMAZAKI TSURUKO

    YAMAZAKI TSURUKO, Japanese artist, born in Ashiya, Hyogo. She was one of the founding members of the avant-garde art group Gutai Art Association. In 2008, she held a three-person exhibition in Belgium with KUSAMA YAYOI and TANAKA ATSUKO. Major Collections: Dallas Museum of Art; 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa; Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art; Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka

  • TSUTAKA WAICHI

    TSUTAKA WAICHI, Japanese Western-style painter and poet. His concise abstract expression is highly regarded both in Japan and abroad. He painted figurative paintings until early 1956, later he changed to abstract paintings with a distinctive poetic sentiment. In 1946, he exhibited his work at the Behavioral Arts Society Exhibition. In 1960, he exhibited at the New York Guggenheim Prize Art Exhibition. Since 1969, he had been a professor at the Department of Fine Arts, Osaka University of Arts, the following year he became an emeritus professor. Major Collections: Museum of Modern Art, New York; British Museum; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sao Paulo; National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

  • KANEKO KUNIYOSHI

    KANEKO KUNIYOSHI, a painter from Japan, was born in Warabi City, Saitama Prefecture. He began teaching himself oil painting in 1964 and the following year, he met Ryuichi Shibusawa and was tasked with the cover design and illustrations for "The Tale of Ojou". He became well-known for his cover illustrations and illustrations for many books and magazines. In 1998, he opened the art gallery "Bijutsu Club Higurashi" in Jinbocho.

  • MATSUTANI TAKESADA

    MATSUTANI TAKESADA, Japanese contemporary artist, who became a member of Gutai Art Association in 1963. He established the technique of painting the bonded screen in black with pencil, and is active at the forefront of the world with a main section at the Venice Biennale in 2017 and a solo exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou in 2019.