Kazuo Shiraga

We authenticate, certify, issue certificates of authenticity (COA), appraise the value and broker the sale of paintings, drawings and prints by Kazuo SHIRAGA.

Japanese

Born: 1924 in Amagasaki, Japan.

Died: 2008 in Amagasaki, Japan, aged 83.

He spent most of his life in Japan.

Typical subject matter:

He typically painted abstract, expressive works, characterized by a physical, direct approach to painting. To paint his works, he often used his body, coating his feet and hands with paint and suspending himself above the canvas.

Typical style:

He is renowned for being close to the Japanese Gutai movement, which aimed to free art from formal constraints and encourage direct interaction with matter. His works are marked by abstract compositions, with swirling forms and rapid, fluid movements, giving them a spontaneous, even violent character. Emphasis is placed on the thickness of the material through strong impasto and visible brushstrokes. He uses pure colors, with a predilection for red and black. In his canvases, the itinerary of his gesture is clearly visible, further highlighted in those of his works where the background is partly left bare.

Typical material and media:

He mostly worked in oil on canvas. He also made drawings with the same artistic approach, often mixing watercolor and gouache on paper. He also produced a number of silkscreen prints.

If you own a painting, drawing or print by or attributed to Kazuo Shiraga, we would like to learn about it. Please send us photos or contact us at [email protected]. You will generally receive a response within 24 hours.