SHUJI MUKAI was born in 1940 in Kobe, Japan. In 1959, he met Sadamasa Motonaga at the Nishinomiya City Art Association and participated in the 8th Gutai Art Exhibition that same year. He officially joined the Gutai Art Association in 1961, becoming one of its youngest members. His artistic style is characterized by the accumulation of meaningless symbols, aiming to express the inefficacy of any value system—a concept that became the foundation of his unique creative approach. In 1964, MUKAI’s work was selected for the "New Japanese Painting and Sculpture" exhibition organized by The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, which later toured across the United States. MoMA subsequently added his work to its permanent collection. In 1966, he created a large-scale installation at the jazz-themed café "Check" in Umeda, Osaka, where the entire room was covered with symbols—marking the first instance in Japan of filling an entire space with such motifs. In 2013, he participated in the Gutai retrospective exhibition "Gutai: Splendid Playground" at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, where he recreated his iconic work "Symbol Room" and covered the museum’s elevators and restroom surfaces with millions of symbols. Major Collections: MoMA; Guggenheim Museum; National Museum of Art, Osaka; Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.
ICHION CONTEMPORARY OPENING EXHIBITION
ICHION CONTEMPORARY is pleased to present the exhibition "GUTAI Lives On | GUTAI: An Enduring Spirit"from January 13(Monday) to May 3 (Saturday), 2025, in celebration of the gallery's opening.
“GUTAI Lives On | GUTAI: An Enduring Spirit” revisits the philosophy and creative legacy of the Gutai Art Association, an influential art movement born in postwar Japan. Since its founding in 1954, Gutai has pursued a dialogue between materials and the human spirit, earning recognition for its groundbreaking contributions. The declaration, “Gutai art does not falsify materials.
In Gutai art, human spirit and materials stand in opposition, yet shake hands,” embodies its vision of authentic creation.This exhibition centers on Shuji Mukai’s installation, which serves as a gateway for viewers to trace Gutai’s legacy through the works of key members, including Jiro Yoshihara, Kazuo Shiraga, and Atsuko Tanaka. Mukai’s philosophy, built on “accumulations of meaningless symbols,” rejects predetermined meanings and transforms the gallery into a dynamic space of resonance where sound and visual elements interact. His installation challenges the boundaries between static architecture and fluid creativity, reviving Gutai’s ethos of “direct expression.”
The venue, ICHION CONTEMPORARY, designed by Tadao Ando, exemplifies the poetry of materiality. With a width of less than four meters, the gallery embodies the interplay between restriction and possibility. Ando’s signature use of concrete highlights the tactile beauty of raw materials while allowing natural light to create ever-changing shadows. Friedrich Schlegel’s notion of architecture as “frozen music” and Goethe’s belief that architecture is “a poetic medium where spirit and material converge”
come alive in this space. Mukai’s intervention transforms the rigid form into a living entity, demonstrating how materials, when embraced honestly, can transcend their physicality and evoke profound emotional responses.
"GUTAI Lives On | GUTAI: An Enduring Spirit" offers an opportunity to experience the timeless resonance of Gutai’s universalmessage.
- Open :
- 11:00‒18:00 (Last entry at 17:30) ※Closes at 17:00 on the final day
- Closed :
- Sundays, Mondays, and Public Holidays
- Admission :
- Free
- Artists :
- Jiro Yoshihara, Kazuo Shiraga, Sadamasa Motonaga, Atsuko Tanaka, Shozo Shimamoto, Chiyu Uemae, Toshio Yoshida, Tsuruko Yamazaki, Takesada Matsutani, Shuji Mukai
- Reservations :
- Recommended
Visitors without a reservation can enter, but if the gallery reaches capacity, priority will be given to those with reservations. Thank you for your understanding.
https://reserva.be/ichioncontemporary
Shuji Mukai
Exhibition Contents
Jiro Yoshihara "Blue and Red"
1970 Acrylic on canvas 195.0×260.5cm
Kazuo Shiraga "Iroe"
1966 Oil on canvas 90.5×116.5cm
Atsuko Tanaka "86D6"
1986 Gouache on paper 192.7×80.3cm
Takesada Matsutani "Wave 93-5"
1993 Mixed media 162.0×130.0cm
Shuji Mukai "Works No.01 - No.20"
2024 Mixed media Assorted sizes
Gallery
ICHION CONTEMPORARY: A Cultural Hub Connecting Asia and the World through Art
With the concept that "the wavelengths of artistic sensibility resonate in people's hearts like a single sound, creating new waves of culture," ICHION CONTEMPORARY was founded in 2023 in Higashi-Umeda, Osaka, as a cultural hub connecting Asia and the world.
Our gallery focuses on pioneering artists who shaped avant-garde art in Japan, particularly in Osaka and the Kansai region. By highlighting their innovation and cultural significance, we aim to further elevate their global recognition. Following the rise of Abstract Expressionism in postwar America and the Informel movement in France, Japan witnessed the emergence of revolutionary artistic movements such as Gutai and Mono-ha, which were groundbreaking in East Asia. Among them, Gutai stood out as a radical movement that pursued "pure creation," breaking free from traditional artistic frameworks. Its innovative spirit not only transformed the trajectory of postwar Japanese art but also left a profound impact on modern art across East Asia. Even today, its pioneering essence continues to inspire new artistic values and serves as a vital bridge between the past and the future.
At ICHION CONTEMPORARY, we see it as both our mission and responsibility to carry forward the avantgarde spirit that was nurtured in Osaka and the Kansai region.
Leveraging our network with international galleries and museums, we also serve as a bridge for artistic exchange between Japan and the world. Through exhibitions and art fairs, we actively promote the cultural richness of our region and expand the possibilities of art, fostering international cultural dialogue from Osaka.
Our gallery is committed to providing an environment where emerging artists can fully realize their talents and thrive on the international stage. By maximizing the historical and cultural strengths of Osaka and the Kansai region, we aim to grow as a cultural exchange platform that connects generations and contributes to the social and economic impact of art.
Access
9-7 Nozaki-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-0055
Contact
+81 6-6364-1111
info@ichion-contemporary.com