Michio Hanyu

Michio Hanyu

Michio Hanyu is one of Japan’s preeminent postwar artists, whose work has explored relationships between abstraction and figuration. His works, which blend traditional materials with contemporary themes, span a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, and installation. Hanyu was born in 1933 in Tokyo, Japan and studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. After graduating, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was exposed to new artistic trends. After his return to Japan, Hanyu joined the Zero-kai artist group, a collective whose members experimented with abstraction and minimalism. Hanyu's early works explore the relationship between space and surface, often employing a grid format that echoes traditional Japanese woodblock printing. Some notable pieces include “The Quest for the Stars” in 1965, which was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, and “Toward the Four Corners” in 1976, which is currently held at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art.

Michio Hanyu, Japanese artist, abstract art, experimental art, Zero-kai artist group.

— Mei Wang