Kobe, Japan 1919 – 1996
Black Mass, 1964
lithograph, a.p., 75,5 x 57 cm
Kumi Sugai lived and worked as a painter, sculptor, and printmaker in Paris since 1952. He started print-making in the 1960s, which became a major part of his oeuvre. He produced some 400 prints during his lifetime. At that time his style showed a major change when he adopted ‘hard-edge’ geometric imagery in contrast to the previous oriental calligraphy-influenced brush-like style. In 1996, Sugai returned to Japan to receive the Shiju-Hosho prize, awarded by the Emperor of Japan to individuals with high cultural merit. He died in Kobe on May 14 of that same year. His work is shown in major museums worldwide.
