Mitsuo Kano Exhibition

Mitsuo Kano began teaching copperplate printmaking independently and started exhibiting works in the mid-1950s. In the 1960s, recognition grew through international exhibitions, establishing Kano as one of Japan’s leading artists. Early works focused on monochrome copperplate prints inspired by plants and living forms. Over the years, the practice expanded to include metal prints, lithography and objects, while also extending into collaborations with poets, stage design and artist books. From the 1980s, richly colored oil paintings became another important area of exploration, continuing an ongoing investigation of light, color and form. This exhibition presents 32 encaustic drawings created between 1978 and 1979. Three series remained unseen in the studio for more than 40 years, yet retain a remarkable freshness, with dense surfaces and vivid expressions that appear as though they were created only recently. Beginning around the time of the 1977 lithograph works, encaustic drawing became part of a continued search for new possibilities of color. This exploration later developed into oil paintings of the 1980s, where layers of shifting color became a defining feature of the work. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience Kano’s enduring engagement with color and its expressive potential.