Yoshishige Saito

SAITO Yoshishige (b.1904) in Tokyo, Japan. Saito started his artist career in the 1920s drawing abstract paintings and creating chipboard relief works under the strong influence of Russian constructivism and Dada art movement. He was awarded first prize in a Japanese art exhibition in 1936 and took part in establishing a group of avant garde artist in Japan.

During the war many of his works were lost and destroyed and it was only after the war that he started to incorporate large planks and discs of painted word into his works. He created great sculptural installation and in 1957 he won a prestigious New Artist’s Prize in Japan, thereafter he gained international fame and won prized at the Guggenheim International exhibition in 1960.

In 1964 he served as a professor at Tama Art University, Tokyo and influence many young Japanese artists. He remained creatively active in his later life and held many exhibitions internationally and also in Japan. Saito passed away at age 97 in 2001.

Submitted by H.ARTS COLLECTIVE