SHIRAGA KAZUO

• SHIRAGA KAZUO, was a leading abstract painter of Japan's postwar avantgarde, distinguished by his original methods and overwhelming physicality. In 1952 he co-founded the Zero Society with Murakami Saburo, Kanayama Akira, and Tanaka Atsuko, and in 1955 joined the Gutai Art Association, led by Yoshihara Jiro, becoming one of its central members. Shiraga is best known for his unprecedented "foot painting" technique, in which he painted on canvases placed on the floor while suspended by ropes, using his feet to manipulate paint. This radical method fused corporeality, movement, and improvisation with painting, generating works of extraordinary dynamism and energy. While resonating with contemporaneous Western movements such as Art Informel and Action Painting, his work also embodied Eastern spirituality and the Zen concept of "mushin" (no-mind), establishing a unique artistic world. Major collections: M+ Museum, Hong Kong; The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; The National Museum of Art, Osaka; Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka; and Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.

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  • YOSHIHARA JIRO

    YOSHIHARA JIRO is a Japanese abstract painter and businessman. In 1954, he founded the Gutai Art Association, the leading artistic movement in the postwar Kansai region. The following year, he held the first exhibition, and until 1968, he held 21 exhibitions of Gutai art not only in Japan but also in New York and Turin, becoming a part of the international art movement. He often said not to inherit modern paintings or imitate others, but create something that no one has ever done before." His philosophy led to the creation of many artists, including SHIRAGA KAZUO and MOTONAGA SADAMASA. He is best known for his works featuring circles, such as large white circles painted on a black background. Major Collections: National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama, Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design, Ohara Museum of Art, Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka