STANDING PINE

Toshimitsu Imai

Born in Kyoto in 1928, Toshimitsu Imai studied for one year in the Oil Painting Department at Tokyo University of the Arts before relocating to France in 1952. During his time in Paris, he developed close relationships with artists such as Sam Francis and the influential art critic Michel Tapié. Immersed in the movement of Art Informel, Imai developed a dynamic mode of abstraction characterised by dense materiality and a vibrant, expressive use of colour.

In 1956, at the request of Tarō Okamoto, Imai was involved in coordinating the inclusion of works from Michel Tapié’s collection for The World: Art of Today exhibition, organised by The Asahi Shimbun and held at venues including Nihonbashi Takashimaya. The exhibition marked the first major introduction of Art Informel painting to Japan and generated significant critical attention, becoming a key moment that shaped its subsequent reception.

From the 1960s onwards, Imai continued to work between Japan and France, establishing his international reputation through participation in major exhibitions such as the 30th Venice Biennale (1960) and the 7th Bienal de São Paulo (1963). At Expo ’70 Osaka, he served as art director for a corporate pavilion. In the 1980s, he developed the Ka-Chō-Fū-Getsu series, incorporating gold and silver leaf and engaging with elements of traditional Japanese painting. In later years, he also addressed themes confronting the devastation of war, notably in his Hiroshima series.

Imai’s works are held in numerous public collections, including The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; The National Museum of Art, Osaka; Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo; Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art; Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art; and Shiga Museum of Art, among others.

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