Oil and gouache on paper

62 × 47 cm. 24 3/8 × 18 1/2 in.

Signed and located in French, dated on bottom left; signed in French and Japanese, located in French and dated on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly by previous French collector from the artist
28 Sep 2019, Fauve Paris Autumn Auction, Lot 46
Private Collection, Asia

Vibrant Sky Full of Clouds
Toshimitsu Imai's vision

In the 1950s, under the advocacy of French art critic Michel Tapie, the art trend ‘Art informel' swept Europe. Toshimitsu Imai moved to Paris in 1952 and became the first Japanese artist to participate in the European Art Informel Movement. His work focuses on fluidity and relies on its commitment to abandon rigid forms and images to achieve an invisible effect, rather than a tangible one.

Fireworks and Lanterns

The 1960s was a fruitful period for Imai's creations, during which he established his early style full of improvisational emotions and athletic energy. ‘Composition' was created in 1962, mimicking a waterfall flowing down the river or a sky full of dramatic storms that dance within the rich color changes. In this piece, the artist is absorbed in the emerging trickle technique of that time, creating ‘unconscious movements' through the natural oil paint lines. By employing various colors, such as different shades of white, pink, black, yellow, and blues, the colorful vision intertwines to create a never-fading sea of fireworks and lanterns.

Dawn Clouds Coated in Emerald with the Morning Light

Here, the artist uses oil paints and gouache to layer thick paint onto the paper. The oily and smooth texture of the oil paint mimics emerald. It is attached to the thin paper, resulting in a prominent touch of the painting that captures the generally magnificent and charming vibrancy of coral reefs. The paint on the surface layer bursts to reveal the color of the lower layer, which is a rough and uneven explosion of blue and yellow, causing an obvious visual impact. The three-dimensional texture and image are undoubtedly unique to Imai's paintings, and the various forms of materials capture his every action.

Price estimate:
HKD: 100,000 - 150,000
USD: 12,800 - 19,300

Auction Result:
HKD: --