Keiji Usami (1940-2012) is one of the most important contemporary artists in Japan.
Born in 1940 in Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, Usami spent his early years in Wakayama. After graduating from Osaka Prefectural Tennoji High School, he moved to Tokyo with the aim of enrolling at the Tokyo University of the Arts. During this period, he began creating all-over abstract paintings that combined delicacy and sharpness, deviating from the sketches and oil paintings typically associated with entrance exams. After an unsuccessful attempt at the entrance exams, he embarked on self-directed creative activities. In 1963, Usami held his first solo exhibition at the Minami Gallery, which was a pioneering venue for contemporary art at the time, marking a vivid debut. He frequently stayed in New York from 1966 onwards, experiencing the changing currents of contemporary art from abstract expressionism to Neo-Dada and pop art. This exposure had a significant impact on him. The pivotal moment influencing Usami's artistic direction occurred in 1965 with the publication of photos depicting the "Watts Riots" in Life magazine. After unveiling "Street Heroes", an abstract representation extracted from the four human figures documented in the photos, Usami consistently made symbolized humans a crucial motif. He went on to produce a series of paintings resembling conceptual diagrams, devoid of emotional expression.
In 1972, he was selected as the Japanese representative at the 36th Venice Biennale, gaining significant acclaim both domestically and internationally. He made substantial contributions to the art world and took on teaching roles at institutions such as Tama Art University, dedicating himself to the nurturing of younger artists. Experiencing the radical transformations and fervor brought to the American art scene during the 1960s and 1970s, Usami established his unique artistic perspective, leaving a substantial mark on contemporary Japanese art. Additionally, numerous writings he left alongside his artworks are recognized as excellent art criticism, backed by extensive knowledge and profound contemplation.
As people change over the years, works also develop shifts and changes with age. The works offered at Untitled range from comparatively recent pieces of about twenty years to older works that have passed through nearly seventy years.
Small scratches, changes in the paint surface, shifts in paper or support—these are not mere deterioration but traces of the time the work has lived through.
We do not value only perfect condition. We hope you will receive each work as a single existence, together with the time it has accumulated.
Accessories
Whether a work is framed is noted on each work page. Frame condition varies by work; please contact us in advance if you would like details.
We also accept custom framing matched to the work. As each piece is made individually for the space and work, delivery takes approximately two months.
Framed works include a storage box. Depending on the work, a new box may be made after purchase, which may take several weeks.
