Onosato Toshinobu Exhibition

Schedule: Jan. 12, (Fri.) to Jan. 27 (Sat.) 2024 11:00 - 19:00
※Gallery closed Sun., Mon., and national holidays.

*Click images to view in original size

Onosato Toshinobu (1912-1986) was a prominent abstract painter in Japan and, along with his pre-war friend Q Ei, played a pioneering role in avant-garde art. His work " Circles in Black and White" (held by the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo), created in 1940, drew attention as a work with rarely attempted constructivist content at the time. In 1953, he held his first solo exhibition at Gallery Takemiya, recommended by Shuzo Takiguchi. Around 1954, the circle became the main theme, and he eventually established a geometric abstract style where circles emerge from a mosaic-like group of squares covering the entire canvas, with red, yellow, green, and navy as the main colors. This period was called the "Flat Circle Era" and continued until 1959. In 1960, the "Flat Circle Era" ended, and the "Circle Division Era" began, where large circles were divided into intricate squares and filled. Onosato led a solitary life, rarely leaving his studio, forgetting time as he held the brush all day, creating numerous oil and watercolor paintings, and producing about 200 print works (lithographs, silkscreens).

This exhibition showcases valuable works from the period when the theme shifted to circles around 1954, as well as oil and watercolor paintings from the "Beta Maru Era," where circles were freely drawn, and the "Circle Division Era," where circles were finely divided, along with his print works.

■Onosato Toshinobu
Born in 1912 in Nagano Prefecture, later moved to Kiryu, Gunma. Studied at Tsuda Seifu Western Painting School. In 1935, founded Kokushoku Yōgaten [The Black Oil Painting Exhibition]. Became a member of the Jiyū Bijutsuka Kyokai [Free Art Association] in 1938 (until 1956, later unaffiliated). Enlisted as a soldier in 1941, experienced post-war internment in Siberia, and continued drawing circles tirelessly in his Kiryu studio after returning to Japan in 1948. Represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1964 and 1966. Passed away in 1986.

Exhibition View

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