Kumi Sugai “Red Demon”

Author birth and death: 1919 Mikage-cho, Muko-gun [Kobe] (Hyogo) – 1996 Kobe (Hyogo)
Year of production: 1955
Technique Material: Lithograph
Dimensions: 53.4×38.4cm
Edition: 58/75
Signatures: Edition number "58/75" in the lower left margin; signature "汲SuGaÏ" in the lower right

Exhibition history: “Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of Modern Art Collection Exhibition + University of Tsukuba Collection Ishii Collection Exhibition” Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of Art October 2007-10, 5 cat. 28; “Techniques on Paper: University of Tsukuba Collection Ishii Collection” 15 2012 February 1th - February 7th Musashino City Kichijoji Museum of Art cat. 2; "Manabia Terrace Opening Commemoration Exhibition from the Ishii Collection from the University of Tsukuba: Encountering Beauty: [First Half] Encountering the World of Paintings", Manabia Terrace [Higashine City Museum of Art] , November 19-December 18, 2016, cat. 11.

Literature: JC Lambert, Kyoji Takizawa, Norihiro Nakajima, Keiji Usami, SUGAÏ: Catalog raisonne de l'œuvre grave, 1955-96, 1996, Abe Publishing no. 1 《Red Demon Diable rouge》 col. ill. p. 34; Temple Gate Edited by Rintaro, “Ishii Collection I. Paintings from the University of Tsukuba,” University of Tsukuba, Faculty of Art, 2011, cat. 55.

Collection number: 2005-JP-IS012

Work description:
The Red Demon, which brings to mind a mythical image of Japan, gives the viewer a strong sense of pressure with its large horns and fangs that emerge from the crimson background, but one can also sense oriental influences in its simple expression. be able to.Sugai always wanted to be a Japanese person who stood out from the crowd of 1952 million people, and as a writer who transcended the Japanese identity, he aimed for his own unique creation. Sugai moved to France in XNUMX and lived in Paris, where he eventually began producing lithographs at the recommendation of Gallery Craven.This work, the first of these, has some immature printmaking techniques and is still an experiment in that it has not been able to go beyond the expression of painting, but it does reflect Sugai's inner Japanese spirit. It shows sensitivity well.