IMAI TOSHIMITSU Work

• LOT

  1830

• Artist

  IMAI TOSHIMITSU ( 1928 - 2002 )

• Estimate

  1,800,000 - 3,600,000 85,714 - 171,429 87,805 - 175,610 382,979 - 765,957 11,538 - 23,077

  JPY RMB HKD TWD USD

• Result

  Members only

• Details

  oil on canvas　framed　1959
  signed, dated and "PARIS" on the reverse
  During his stay in Paris in the 1950s, Imai Toshimitsu engaged closely with the European avant-garde and was deeply influenced by Lyrical Abstraction and Art Informel. Emphasizing the materiality of paint and the traces of gesture, his works transform physical movement and emotion directly into pictorial structure.
  In this work, thick layers of oil paint create a surface reminiscent of geological strata, where pigment functions as both color and substance, producing an effect between painting and relief. The dense base of black, green, and earthy tones is animated by red lines that pulse through the composition, balancing weight and movement while reflecting the distinctive presence of Japanese artists within the postwar international avant-garde.
  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
  38.5×46.0cm
  (15 ⅛ × 18 ⅛ in.)　

• Organizer

  Jo's Auction

• Auction

  Jo’s Auction Spring Auction of Art Works 2026

• Catalog

  Contemporary Art/Modern&Post-War Art

• Date

  2026/04/25