TOGO SEIJI

• TOGO SEIJI (1897-1978) was a prominent Western-style painter in Japan. In 1915, at the age of 18, he held his first solo exhibition, gaining attention for his avant-garde Futurist style. The following year, he debuted at the Nika Exhibition with "Woman with a Parasol" (1916), winning the Nika Prize. This work is considered one of Japan’s earliest avant-garde paintings. From 1921, he spent seven years in France, studying Western painting techniques in museums. He met Futurism founder Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and engaged with Picasso, gradually shifting from avant-garde to a blend of Neoclassicism and Surrealism. Upon returning to Japan, he embraced modernist culture, working in book design, illustration, and murals. Over time, he incorporated Western motifs and established "Togo Beauties," a signature aesthetic widely known as the "Togo Style," which remains influential today.