Toshimitsu Imai Art

Japanese, 1928-2002

Born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1928, Toshimitsu Imai was part of the 20th-century Japanese avant garde. He began his formal education at the Tokyo State Art Academy where he took up painting. His early works are characterized by colorful abstractions, reminiscent of Fauvism. In 1951, Imai was awarded the Kansai-Shinseisaku Prize and in 1952 the prize for the best new artist at the 15th Shinseisaku Salon.

Imai relocated to Paris in 1953, the same and subsequent year he exhibited at the Salon de L’Art Sacré. Meanwhile, he attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the Sorbonne to study medieval history and philosophy. In 1955, Imai completely abandoned representational art in favor of abstraction. After meeting the art critic Michel Tapié via the artist Sam Francis, Imai was the first Japanese artist to join the Art Informel movement.

In 1956, Imai was called upon by the Japanese artist Taro Okamoto to curate an exhibition titled “The World: Today’s Art in Tokyo.” Artists such as Jean Dubuffet, Jean Fautrier, Lucio Fontana and Karel Appel gained important exposure in Japan. It was also in 1957, when Imai arranged for Tapié and the artists Georges Mathieu and Sam Francis to travel to Japan, that a connection between Art Informel and Gutai occurred. The Ashiya-based Gutai Art Association, formed in 1954, was proclaimed a kindred spirit and subsequently promoted internationally by Tapié. Founding members included Yoshihara Jiro, Kanayma Akira, Murakami Saburo, Shiraga Kazuo and Shozo Shimamoto. The art historian Yve-Alain Bois commented, “The activities of the Gutai group in the mid 1950s constitute one of the most important moments of postwar Japanese culture.”

Most notably, Imai’s work was exhibited at the São Paulo Biennial in 1953 and the Venice Biennale in 1960, which brought him international acclaim. In addition, his work was sold by the art dealer Leo Castelli in New York in 1956 and was exhibited at the legendary Galerie Stadler in Paris. In 1962, Imai was awarded a prestigious prize at the 5th Exhibition of Japanese Contemporary Art in Tokyo. Several works from this exhibition can now be found in the Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

Although largely an abstract painter, Imai fluctuated between figurative and abstract, and in the 70s he began to integrate poetic text into his paintings. At this time, he split his time between Paris and Japan, later participating in a two-year show at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 1982. In 1984, Imai cofounded the Japanese Contemporary Artists’ Association.

In 1991 Imai was made an honorary citizen of Madrid and in 1992 of Lyon. He received numerous distinctions and awards, including being named a chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 1996 and in 1997 an officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

(Biography provided by Stern Pissarro Gallery)

Artist: Toshimitsu Imai

Toshimitsu ImaiVagues 'Wave' by TOSHIMITSU IMAÏ - Abstract Art, 20th-Century Japanese Artist, 1992

$18,000

Vagues 'Wave' by TOSHIMITSU IMAÏ - Abstract Art, 20th-Century Japanese Artist

By Toshimitsu Imai

Located in London, GB

Vagues “Wave” by TOSHIMITSU ÏMAI (1928-2002) Acrylic on paper 127 x 95 cm (50 x 37 3⁄8 inches) Signed in Japanese and English lower right, inscribed and dated 1992 on the reverse Provenance: Studio of the artist Dr Jean-Paul Coussy (Director of MCAP Museum, France), acquired directly from the artist, March 15th 1998 Dr Giorgio Tosetti, Italy, acquired from the above Exhibitions: Paris, Galerie Chozo Yoshii, Hommage à André Malraux - Les voix du Silence, September - November 1997 Literature G. C. Calza, Imaï, Electa, Milan, 1998 (Onde/Waves series) Artist biography: Born in Kyoto, Japan in 1928 Imai was part of the 20th century Japanese avant-garde. He began his formal education at the Tokyo State Art Academy where he took up painting. His early works are characterised by colourful abstractions, reminiscent of Favuism. In 1951 Imai was awarded the Kansai-Shinseisaku Prize and in 1952 the prize for the best new artist at the 15th Shinseisaku Salon. Imai relocated to Paris in 1953, the same and subsequent year he exhibited at the Salon de L’Art Sacré. Meanwhile, he attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the Sorbonne to read medieval history and philosophy. In 1955, Imai completely abandoned representational art in favour of abstraction. After meeting the art critic Michel Tapié via the artist Sam Francis, Imai was the first Japanese artist to join the Art Informel movement. In 1956 Imai was called upon by the Japanese artist Taro Okamoto to curate an exhibition entitled The World: Today’s Art in Tokyo. Artists such as Jean Dubuffet, Jean Fautrier, Lucio Fontana, and Karel Appel gained important exposure in Japan. It was also in 1957, when Imai arranged for Tapié and the artists Georges Mathieu and Sam Francis to travel to Japan, that a connection between Art Informel and Gutai occurred. The Ashiya-based Gutai Art Association formed in 1954 was proclaimed a kindred spirit by Tapié which he subsequently promoted internationally. Founding members included Yoshihara Jiro, Kanayma Akira, Murakami Saburo, Shiraga Kazuo and Shozo...

Category

1990s Abstract Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

Toshimitsu ImaiRed Composition by TOSHIMITSU ÏMAI - Contemporary, Abstract, Oil on canvas, 1963

$90,000

Red Composition by TOSHIMITSU ÏMAI - Contemporary, Abstract, Oil on canvas

By Toshimitsu Imai

Located in London, GB

*PLEASE NOTE UK BUYERS WILL ONLY PAY 5% VAT ON THIS PURCHASE. Red Composition by TOSHIMITSU ÏMAI (1928-2002) Oil on canvas 80.2 x 55.3 (31 ⅝ x 21 ¾ inches) Signed, TOSHIMITSU IMAÏ, ...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mila AkopovaConfrontation - line drawing women figures with white dandelions, 2021

$550

H 16 in W 20 in

Confrontation - line drawing women figures with white dandelions

By Mila Akopova

Located in Fort Lee, NJ

Interior design paintings. The artwork was done with acrylic, watercolor and white felt pen on black watercolor paper 360g. The works are 11,5 by 16,5 inches in size, framed (black) ...

Category

2010s Abstract Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Felt Pen

Krisanne SouterPlants in Pottery Pots - Original Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper, 2021

$645

H 24 in W 18 in

Plants in Pottery Pots - Original Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Krisanne Souter weaves together elements of nature and ancient feminine archetypes, such as the Mother and the Mystic. Botanical themes, playful elements, and unexpected surprises ar...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil

Shizico YiOriginal-La Vie en Rose-Awarded Artist-British School-Expression-Summer Bloom, 2024

$1,169

H 15.75 in W 11.82 in D 0.6 in

Original-La Vie en Rose-Awarded Artist-British School-Expression-Summer Bloom

Located in London, GB

Summer Bloom series began in 2022, where Shizico Yi celebrating the season by painting en plein air in her garden. In 2024, she embarks on a fresh chapter with her new rose garden. T...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Gesso, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Bill BateOcean Whispers - abstract art underwater nude human figurative painting, 2025

$3,468

H 39.38 in W 31.5 in D 1.19 in

Ocean Whispers - abstract art underwater nude human figurative painting

Located in London, Chelsea

We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Robert Freiman"The Rose Garden" Mid Century Oil Painting on Canvas Abstract Landscape & Figure, 1971

$3,000

H 32.5 in W 46.25 in D 1.5 in

"The Rose Garden" Mid Century Oil Painting on Canvas Abstract Landscape & Figure

By Robert Freiman

Located in New York, NY

An abstract Mid-Century piece with lighter color tones accentuated with the use of basic colors, blue, red and yellow. In this abstract composition we see a figure, tending to their ...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Donise EnglishBlue Twisting Grid (Abstract Geometric Work on Paper, Custom Light Wood Frame), 2018

$2,400

H 37 in W 29 in D 2 in

Blue Twisting Grid (Abstract Geometric Work on Paper, Custom Light Wood Frame)

By Donise English

Located in Hudson, NY

Abstract drawing on paper in light sky blue, black and white with custom light wood frame 'Blue Twisting Grid' by Donise English 30 x 22 inches unframed, 37 x 29 inches custom frame ...

Category

2010s Abstract Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Acrylic, Gouache, Archival Paper, Graphite

Gina WerfelWindswept (Abstract Expressionism painting), 2021

$3,264

H 50.01 in W 38 in

Windswept (Abstract Expressionism painting)

By Gina Werfel

Located in London, GB

Acrylic and mixed media on paper - Unframed. Werfel employs expressive, lyrical gestures that create bursts of movement and energy. Her color choices create a range of tones from th...

Category

2010s Abstract Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Donise EnglishLittle Blue (Abstract Geometric Mixed Media Encaustic Work on Wooden Panel), 2020

$1,400

H 12 in W 12 in D 2 in

Little Blue (Abstract Geometric Mixed Media Encaustic Work on Wooden Panel)

By Donise English

Located in Hudson, NY

Little Blue, 2020 Encaustic & collage on thin edged board 12" X 12" This abstract geometric composition on wooden board features a playful geometric motif that is inspired by the artist's interest in architecture and blueprint drawings. The geometric forms are made in a more painterly, gestural manner rather than with a hard edge. Paint is not heavily built up upon the surface but it certainly exhibits a tactile quality which is characteristic of the artist's aesthetic. English's work celebrates the quirky, unexpected qualities of shapes and colors. About the artist: Donise English is a Poughkeepsie-based artist who received her MFA from Bard College and is currently a Professor of Studio Art at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Artist Statement: I am interested in drawing and collaging multiple layers of information that refer abstractly to maps, architectural drawings and blueprints or patterns and structures found in such things as roller coasters, power lines and fences. I use gouache and collaged paper in a series of layers that are a visual and ideological response to the previous layer to define my pictorial space. For each piece I create a set of rules to follow about the use of a limited palette, a grid format, opacity of paper and whether a piece may include curving lines or maintain a rectilinear structure. Resume: EDUCATION Master of Fine Arts in Painting Bard College 1986 Bachelor of Science in Art History State University College at New Paltz 1977 Additional Study: New York Studio School (Drawing Marathons) Columbia University, School of Architecture Women’s Studio Workshop TEACHING Professor of Studio Art, Department of Art and Art History, Marist College, Poughkeepsie,NY Coordinator, Interior Design Program, Florence, Italy campus 1992-present AWARDS Finalist, “Saatchi Showdown” 2010 Invitational Award for Outstanding Contemporary Talent, University of Bridgeport, CT 2000 Purchase Prize, “11th National Juried Exhibition” College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Baltimore 1999 First Prize, “Women in the Visual Arts ‘95” Erector Square Gallery, New Haven, CT 1995 Joseph A. Cain Memorial Purchase Award for Sculpture Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX 1994 Honorable Mention, “National Juried Exhibition” University of Bridgeport, CT 1993 Individual Artists Fellowship in Sculpture Dutchess Arts Fund 1992/93 Tallix, Morris, Singer Internship in Sculpture Tallix Foundry, Beacon, NY 1990/91 SELECTED JURIED/INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS 2016 “Let’s Stay in Touch”, Howard County Center for the Arts, Ellicott City, MD 2015 “Off the Grid”, Arts & Culture Program, Albany International Airport, Albany, NY “Gridspace”, KMOCA, Kingston, NY “Abstraction”, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY “Assuming Identity”, NY Institute of Technology, New York, NY 2013 “Modern Artists”, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY “Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region”, The Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY Stone Canoe/Community Folk Art Center, Syracuse, NY 2012 New York Institute of Technology, New York, NY “Contemporary Painters (Who Just Happen To Be Women)”, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY “Strange Glue: Collage at 100”, Cambridge School, Weston, MA “Dear Mother Nature”, Dorsky Museum, SUNY New Paltz, NY “Fresher Paint”, Rockland Center for the Arts, Nyack, NY Courthouse Gallery, Lake George Arts Project, Lake George, NY 2011 “Process+Content: Donise English”, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY “Donise English-Paintings”, Orange County Community College, Newburgh, NY “Gender Matters/Matters of Gender”, Freedman Gallery, Albright College, Reading, PA 2010 Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY “Encaustics: Wax and Image”, Westchester Community College White Plains, NY “Dots, Lines and Figures”, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY “Spring Awakening”, NY Institute of Technology, New York, NY “Clay City Dreams”, NY Institute of Technology, New York, NY “Texture, Pattern, Fragment”, Krause Gallery, Moses Brown School Providence, RI 2009 “Collage”, NY Institute of Technology, New York, NY “Working in Wax”, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA “Encaustic 2009”, College of New Rochelle, NY “Three Artists”, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY “Convergence: The Human Experience”, Howard County Center for the Arts, MD 2008 “Suckers and Biters: Love, Lollipops, and Exquisite Corpse” Chashama Gallery, New York, NY Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson NY 2007 “Patterns and Light”, Blue Hill Gallery, Blue Hill, ME “Suckers and Biters”, AG Gallery, Brooklyn, NY 2006 “100 Artists, 100 Watercolors”, Jeannie Freilich Fine Art, New York, NY “On/Of Paper”, Kirkland Art Center, Clinton, NY “The Love Show”, Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT 2005 The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, MN “Small Tales”, Valdosta State University, Georgia National Juried Exhibition, Art Institute and Gallery Salisbury, MD, Juror: Stephen Haller “Greed, Envy, Jealousy, Fear”, TSL Warehouse, Hudson, NY 2004 “Women in the Middle: Borders, Barriers, Intersections” University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee “Girl Art Now”, Hera Gallery, Wakefield, RI 3 Person Exhibition, Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey, CA “The Feminine Eye”, Bradley University, Peoria, IL “Women Painting Women”, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA “Thought Patterns”, Kent Place Gallery, Summit, NJ “Surface, Matter and Artifice”, Dutchess Community College Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY 2003 “Beefcake/Cheesecake”,Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA,Juror: Jamie Wilson, Curator Halpert Bienniel, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC Juror: Jeff Fleming, Senior Curator, Des Moines Art Center “The Great White Oak”, Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY 2002 “Cat Calls”, Red Clay Arts, Brooklyn “Hudson Valley Regional”, SUNY New Paltz Juror: Sydney Jenkins, Director, Ramapo College Art Galleries 2001 One-Person Exhibition, Davis and Hall Gallery, Hudson, NY “Beyond the Surface”, Womanmade Gallery, Chicago One-Person Exhibition, Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY 2000 “Vision 2000...

Category

2010s Abstract Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper, Encaustic, Board

Margaret FrancisAbstract 36 Red Orange Yellow Green Colourful Painting from British Artist, 1991 Circa

$6,400Sale Price|20% Off

H 24 in W 33 in D 1 in

Abstract 36 Red Orange Yellow Green Colourful Painting from British Artist

By Margaret Francis

Located in Preston, GB

Colourful Abstract Painting by British Artist Art measures 33 x 24 inches Frame measures 40 x 31 inches Gold frame behind glass Margaret Francis received her Degree in Fine Art from Winchester Art...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Jean SoyerDynamic Orange and Black Abstract Oil Painting by Jean Soyer

$5,801

H 23.63 in W 23.63 in

Dynamic Orange and Black Abstract Oil Painting by Jean Soyer

By Jean Soyer

Located in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

A powerful abstract oil painting on canvas by Jean Soyer (23.6 x 23.6 inches). The artwork features dramatic sweeping strokes in vibrant orange and deep black, created using large br...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Shizico YiOriginal-Primary Blue-White Butterfly-British Awarded Artist-Free frame service, 2023

$1,958Sale Price|20% Off

H 25.6 in W 17.72 in D 1.42 in

Original-Primary Blue-White Butterfly-British Awarded Artist-Free frame service

Located in London, GB

* Frame included measurement include the frame. * Guarantee Free Shipping Worldwide by Royal Mail with End to End International Tracking. -We offer you Artist's Lifetime Warranty for...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Silver

Roger LersyLarge Modernist French Abstract Expressionist Colorful Bird Painting Roger Lersy, 1961

$3,600

H 35 in W 31 in

Large Modernist French Abstract Expressionist Colorful Bird Painting Roger Lersy

By Roger Lersy

Located in Surfside, FL

Roger Lersy, French (1920 - 2004) Oil on canvas Signed, R. Lersy, dated 1961 lower right Measuring 35 X 31 Matted and framed. sight 26 X 21.5 Roger Lersy was born in Paris, France ...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Previously Available Items

Toshimitsu ImaiFlowers, large original signed print, 1990

Sold

H 29.5 in W 41.25 in D 0.01 in

Flowers, large original signed print

By Toshimitsu Imai

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Flowers" 1990 is an offset lithograph on paper by noted Japanese artist Toshimitsu Imai, 1928-2002. It is hand signed and inscribed NO.66 in pencil by the artist...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Art

Materials

Lithograph

Toshimitsu Imai art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Toshimitsu Imai art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Toshimitsu Imai in paint, oil paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Toshimitsu Imai art, so small editions measuring 15 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Rex Yuasa, Alfred Jensen, and Edmund Quincy. Toshimitsu Imai art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $20,000 and tops out at $95,560, while the average work can sell for $50,595.