Yuichi Inoue (1916 - 1985) is one of the most important Japanese calligraphers. His experimental "one character writings" possess a general plasticity, and as outstanding masterpieces which lie on the border of calligraphy and painting have received high acclaim both in Japan and overseas. Corresponding with Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s, his work appeared in "Modern Japanese Calligraphy" at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (1954), and "Abstract Art in Japan and the USA" (1955-56) which toured five European countries after its launch at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Soon after, participation followed in international exhibitions such as the Sao Paulo Art Biennial, Documenta, and Carnegie International. His work received greater acclaim after comparison by the critic Herbert Read with masters such as Jackson Pollock and, after his death, a retrospective exhibition touring 7 domestic art museums was held in 1989, while his work was also included in "Scream Against the Sky: Japanese Art After 1945" which toured from Yokohama Museum of Art to The Guggenheim Museum Soho and The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1994 and 1995. In recent years, his work has also appeared in Sharjah Biennial 11 held this year from March to May, curated by Yuko Hasegawa. His work is in collections at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and Kyoto, as well as in museums throughout Japan and overseas.

*image (left)
flower (hana), 1970
© Yuichi Inoue