Born 1937 in Osaka, Inoue graduated 1960 from the Department of Art History at Keio University. Inoue then went to France and studied at Académie de la Grande Chaumière. He since then continues to live in Paris.

More recently, Inoue works in Izu Peninsula during the winter, and Dordogne or Paris in the summer. Since 1968, he has exhibited in many cities around the world, and made himself a name particularly with wall paintings, within the broader currents of environment art.