Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

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 Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Felt Pen

Naohiko Inukai Untitled Abstract Oil by Naohiko Inukai, c.1965

$1,400

H 36.25 in W 28 in

Untitled Abstract Oil by Naohiko Inukai

Located in Hudson, NY

A richly colored abstraction by Japanese artist Naohiko Inukai. This early work demonstrates the artist's fluidity and expression with paint prior to wh...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Kyle MorrisGreen Burst, 1958

$75,000

H 48 in W 54 in

Green Burst

Located in Austin, TX

Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Kyle Morris Green Burst, 1958 Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right; signed, titled, dated verso. 48...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Evy Olsen HalvorsenThe Last, 2025

$750

H 14 in W 18 in D 1 in

The Last

Located in Kingston, WA

In this painting, I blend the tumultuous depth of abstract with the softer edges of impressionism, capturing an emotional landscape that speaks to our lives of loneliness or willing ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

John OpperUntitled, 1957

$25,000

H 62.25 in W 56.25 in

Untitled

By John Opper

Located in Austin, TX

Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Oil on canvas. Signed lower right, signed and dated verso. 62.25 x 56.25 in. 64 x 58 in. (framed) Custom framed in a natural cherry wood floater. Provenance Washburn Gallery, New York Behnke Doherty Gallery, Washington Depot, CT Born in 1908 in Chicago, John Opper moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1916. In high school, he began studying art and attending classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art. After graduation, he enrolled in the Cleveland School of Art (now Cleveland Institute of Art), only to withdraw after a year and move to Chicago, where he took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. He eventually returned to Cleveland, enrolling at Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve), receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1931. The Depression has taken hold during this period, so Opper found work by teaching metalworking and sketching classes at the Karamu Settlement House, the oldest African American theater in the United States. In 1933, Opper traveled to Gloucester, Massachusetts, eventually connecting with the artist Hans Hofmann, who was teaching at the school run by Ernest Thurn. Hofmann encouraged Opper to work “in a more modern vein and start finding what it’s all about.” Heeding this advice, Opper relocated to New York, co-founding a mail-order club of American and British prints for dissemination to schools and museums. By the mid-1930s, he joined the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Easel Division, and also began attending the 57th Street school that Hans Hofmann had established after leaving the Art Students League. Looking back at his time at the school, Opper felt that beyond Hofmann’s teaching, most advantageous was his contact with fellow artists, including Byron Browne, Rosalind Bengelsdorf, and George McNeil. At the time, he also met Giorgio Cavallon and the sculptor Wilfrid Zogbaum. In 1936, Opper became a founding member of the American Abstract Artists, along with Balcomb and Gertrude Greene. The organization was formed to provide an opportunity for artists to show abstract works at a time when such opportunities were scarce. This led to his first solo show in 1937 at the Artists’ Gallery in New York. During his summer in Gloucester in 1933, Opper came to know Milton Avery. Painting in Avery’s informal studio in New York City the following winter, he became acquainted with Adolph Gottlieb and Mark Rothko. Opper participated in a couple of shows during the 1930s of the American Artists Congress Against War and Fascism, whose president was Stuart Davis. About the same period, Opper joined the Artists’ Union and served as the business manager of its publication, Art Front. During World War II, Opper worked for a ship design company creating drawings for piping systems used in PT boats...

Category

1950s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boyer Gonzales Jr.Colorful abstract expressionist oil painting, dated 1960, 1960

$7,500

H 39.25 in W 47.25 in D 1.75 in

Colorful abstract expressionist oil painting, dated 1960

By Boyer Gonzales Jr.

Located in Colfax, CA

Bold and colorful abstract expressionist painting by American artist and educator, Boyer Gonzales Jr. Boyer Gonzales Jr., (1909-1987), was born in Texas, and was immediately immersed...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Philippe HosiassonBlue Grey, 1960

$12,000

H 39.25 in W 31.75 in

Blue Grey

By Philippe Hosiasson

Located in Austin, TX

Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right and verso, titled verso. 39.25 x 31.75 in. 40.25 x 32.75 in. (f...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ralph RosenborgSubjective Farm Landscape abstract oil painting by Ralph Rosenborg, 1940

$20,500

H 24 in W 30 in

Subjective Farm Landscape abstract oil painting by Ralph Rosenborg

By Ralph Rosenborg

Located in Hudson, NY

Subjective Farm Landscape 1940 Oil on canvas, 24" x 30" 37.5" x 31" x 2" framed - frame is original to this artwork Signed recto lower right: "rosenborg 40" & arrow box cypher. Signe...

Category

1940s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Carl HoltyWinter Lights, 1966

$65,000

H 60 in W 46 in

Winter Lights

By Carl Holty

Located in Austin, TX

Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Carl Holty Winter Lights, 1966 Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. 60 x 46 in. 62 x 48 in. (framed) Custom...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pacita Abad'Morning has broken', Pacita Abad, Paint and mixed media on canvas, Unique, 2001

$14,000

H 12 in W 12 in

'Morning has broken', Pacita Abad, Paint and mixed media on canvas, Unique, 2001

Located in New York, NY

Pacita Abad Morning has broken, 2001 Oil, sequins, painted cloth stitched on canvas 12 × 12 in l 30.5 × 30.5 cm 18 x 18 in l 45 x 35 cm (Frame included) Exhibited: Hadeland Glassver...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Sequins, Oil

Alan FentonUntitled, ca. 1960

$21,000

H 50.25 in W 36.25 in

Untitled

Located in Austin, TX

Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Oil on canvas. Signed verso. Some scratched out, illegible writing in paint and graphite verso, which may ha...

Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

EMMI IIDAResonance in Red — Large Abstract Expressionist Colorful Painting by Emmi Iida, 2025

$3,254Sale Price|45% Off

H 27.56 in W 35.44 in D 0.79 in

Resonance in Red — Large Abstract Expressionist Colorful Painting by Emmi Iida

Located in Lahti, FI

“Resonance in Red” is an original large abstract expressionist painting by Finnish multidisciplinary artist Emmi Iida. Measuring 90 x 70 cm, the piece is a striking exploration of rh...

Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Toshimitsu Imai Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Oil, Watercolor

Toshimitsu Imai paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Toshimitsu Imai paintings 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 15 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Hans Gustav Burkhardt, Larry Zox, and Kikuo Saito. Toshimitsu Imai paintings 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 $83,529, while the average work can sell for $50,595.