Acrylic and sewing linen mounted on board

38 × 46 cm. 15 × 18 1/8 in.

Signed in English and dated on the reverse
PROVENANCE
White Stone Gallery, Tokyo
Acquired directly by the present private Asian collector from the above

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Whitestone Gallery, Tokyo

A Weaving Ode to Life
A Modern Interpretation of the Post Gutai School by Tsuyoshi Maekawa

Born in Osaka in 1936, Tsuyoshi Maekawa is the representative of the second generation of Gutai. He loved to create since he was a child. Before joining Gutai in 1959, he had already won the appreciation of Gutai leader Yoshiwara Haruyoshi. He participated in the the 8th Concrete Art Exhibition held in the Kyoto City Art Museum. His work on the exhibition, made of woven burlap, shows a strong yet inherent materiality, which made him famous in the art circle. After joining Gutai in 1962, he held his first solo exhibition at the Gutai Art Museum in the following year. His works have been collected by the National Museum of Art in Tokyo, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Osaka, and the Tate Modern Art Museum in London. Created in 2010, Untitled 180102 has a touching color, form and tactility, which is a representative of the artist's creative essence in recent years.

Burlap is the most iconic medium of Maekawa. He emphasized materiality in terms of style and concept. His discussion on this was earlier than the Art Informel, which became popular in Japan later. In Untitled 180102, he weaves and glues spiral pleated folds to make them curved and convex lines on the canvas, reminding people the patterns on pottery from the ancient Jomon period in Japan in terms of structure and form. The artist sprinkled and painted oil paint and colorful enamel on the stitched and well-textured canvas, creating a rich and vivid composition.

In the use of color, Maekawa took the “sky” as inspiration, and deduce the rainbow-like color spectrum of pink, yellow, and green on the sky blue background. The embossed texture resonates with the illusory color, and generates a dynamic feeling like a sparkle. The vertical and horizontal ups and downs and the use of color to control the complexity and simplicity are precisely the life odes that Maekawa composes by force and mental power, and a spiritual portrayal of his tireless trials throughout his life as well.

Price estimate:
HKD: 80,000 – 100,000
USD: 10,300 – 12,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 94,400