Biography

Painter. Born in Mie Prefecture. Initially aspired to be a manga artist. In 1944, began to study under painter Mankichi Hamabe, which motivated him to shift to Western-style painting. In 1953, he began to create abstract paintings. In 1955, he joined the Gutai Art Association, with the invitation of Jiro Yoshihara. In that same year, he gained attention for “Work (Water),” in which he hung a vinyl bag with colored water on a tree. Subsequently, he was brought into the spotlight for his work in which he poured paint directly onto the canvas, which was inspired by the tarashikomi (dripping) technique used in Japanese-style painting. In 1966, he went to NYC with his wife (the painter Etsuko Nakatsuji), with the invitation from the Japan Society to stay for a year. After returning to Japan, he began using an airbrush to paint forms with organic contours. He also published many picture books in collaboration with poet Shuntaro Tanikawa.