SUGAI KUMI

• SUGAI KUMI, was a Western-style painter and printmaker born in Kobe, who moved to France in 1952. Having studied Japanese painting, his works were highly acclaimed in the Paris art world for their oriental exoticism. In his early years, he painted forms reminiscent of hieroglyphs, but around 1962 his style shifted dramatically to depict geometric shapes in clear, vivid colors. Known as an avid speed enthusiast, he loved driving his Porsche at high speeds. The sights that imprinted themselves on his mind and the sensations of flowing colors while traveling at over 200 kilometers per hour often translated directly into his art, taking shape as motifs and compositions brimming with a sense of velocity.

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