NANKOKU HIDAI

In 1945, Nankoku created his first avant-garde work, Den no Variation (lit. Lightning Variation), and, shocking his fellow contemporaries, displayed his work at an art exhibition, rather than a calligraphy exhibition. As one of the earliest, leading figures of the avant-garde calligraphy movement, Nankoku transformed the world of calligraphy through his revolutionary introduction of “the art of the line”. The artist would subsequently play a crucial role in the growth, education, and circulation of avant-garde calligraphy in, both, the East and the West. Furthermore, in addition to the many lectures he held on calligraphy at numerous, preeminent universities worldwide, i.e. Princeton and Columbia, Nankoku was a close friend and collaborator of the likes of Wallase Ting, as well as American Abstract Expressionists and European Art Informel artists such as Ulfert Wilke, and K.R.H. Sonderborg.

In 1961, Nankoku became one of the first avant-garde calligraphers the Museum of Modern Art, NY has ever acquired works by. The artist has held solo exhibitions in major cities such as Tokyo and New York and has been invited to participate in numerous contemporary exhibitions. In 2017, through acquisition, Nankoku’s works became a part of M+, Hong Kong’s collection.

Public Collections

The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto / Saku City Koma no Sato Fureai Center / Saku City Museum of Tenrai / Chiba City Museum of Art / The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo / Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo / Naritasan Calligraphy Museum / Nagai Museum of Modern Art / Hokkaido Hakodate Museum / Yale University Art Museum / University of California, Berkeley Museum / Kröller-Müller Museum / Cornell University Johnson Museum of Art/ San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, / New York Museum of Modern Art / Harvard University Fog Museum of Art / National Gallery of Victoria / M+.

Official Website：http://www.shodo.co.jp/nankoku/

Gallery Artist Page：https://root-k.jp/artists_en/nankokuhidai/

Courtesy √K Contemporary