Kazuo Shiraga
1924-2008 · Japanese · Gutai, Art Informel
Biography
Kazuo Shiraga was born in Amagasaki in 1924 and joined the Gutai Art Association in 1955, becoming one of its most radical members. From 1954 he painted on canvases laid on the floor, swinging from a rope and spreading thick oil paint with his feet, and he staged performances such as Challenging Mud, in which he wrestled with wet clay. Ordained as a Tendai Buddhist monk in 1971, he kept painting until his death in 2008. Renewed attention to Gutai after the 2013 Guggenheim survey lifted his market sharply: Takao of 1959 sold for about EUR 8.7 million (US$10.3 million) at Sotheby's Paris in 2018, and his best foot paintings trade in Paris, London, New York and Hong Kong.
Recent auction results
| Yagenko (1989)Christie's, London | $2.18M | Mar 5, 2026 | heni.com |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranmaru (1986)Sotheby's, Hong Kong | $392K | Mar 30, 2025 | heni.com |
| Onkurodanau Unjaku (1994)Christie's, Hong Kong | $1.1M | Mar 28, 2025 | heni.com |
| Gouma (1991)Christie's, Paris | $1.03M | Oct 19, 2024 | heni.com |
Market
- Liquidity: Medium
Museums
- Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe
- Ashiya City Museum of Art and History
- Amagasaki Cultural Center (sala Kazuo Shiraga)
- Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Sources
- Sotheby's, Kazuo Shiraga, Takao, lotto 9, Art Contemporain Evening Sale 2018
- Milano Finanza, Dipingere con i piedi rende (giugno 2018)
- findart.cc, comunicato Sotheby's Parigi giugno 2018
- HENI News, Yagenko, Christie's Londra 5 marzo 2026
- HENI News, Onkurodanau Unjaku, Christie's Hong Kong 28 marzo 2025
- HENI News, Christie's Paris Day Sale 19 ottobre 2024
- HENI News, Ranmaru, Sotheby's Hong Kong 30 marzo 2025
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