SADAMASA MOTONAGA
(1922-2011)
Sadamasa Motonaga is a Japanese abstract painter and a first-generation member of the Gutai avant-garde group. Born in 1922 in Mie Prefecture, Japan, initially Motonaga sought to be a cartoonist
before turning his attention to western-style painting.
In particular, after the dissolving of Gutai group in 1972, he pursued an original artistic trajectory.
His paintings are characterized by a childlike sense of humor, and are drawn by simple lines and a gentle palette of nuanced primary colors, reminiscent of Japanese “Bokashi” Technique.
He has often been accosted to Kazuo Shiraga as one of the most prominent figures in Japanese Post-War artistic world. In top of the many solo exhibitions and retrospectives, notable were the Motonaga/Shiraga Exhibitions in 1984 at Wakayama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, and in 2014 at Dallas Museum of Art.
He was awarded the Légion d’Honneur from the French government and the Japanese Purple Ribbon Award, the first abstract artist to receive the latter.
ARTWORKS
UNTITLED (1983)
Synthetic resin paint – acrylic color on canvas
53 x 45.5 cm (20 7/8 x 17 7/8 in)
Dated and signed “’83 S. Motonaga” (lower left)
The present work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the Motonaga Archive Research Institution and is registered with the number F(95)-83
LIKE A STAIRWAY (1985)
Acrylic color on canvas
31.8 x 40.9 cm (12 1/2 x 16 1/8 in)
Signed and dated “S. Motonaga ‘85” (lower left)
Signed, dated, and titled (on the reverse)
The present work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the Motonaga Archive Research Institution and is registered with the number F(116)-85
THE CIRCLE, TRIANGLE, AND GREEN (1989)
Acrylic color on canvas
91.0 x 72.7 cm (35 ⁵³/₆₄ x 28 ⁵/₈ in) not considering the frame
Signed and dated “S. Motonaga ‘89” (lower right)
Signed, dated, and titled (on the reverse)
The present work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the Motonaga Archive Research Institution and is registered with the number F(117)-89
WORK (1963)
Oil and synthetic resin on paper
14.5 x 10.5 cm (5 6/8 x 4 1/8 in)
Signed “ S. Motonaga” (lower left); signed and dated (on the reverse)
The present work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the Motonaga Archive Research Institution and is registered with the number P(k)06-63