Kazuo Shiraga (1924-2008)

Kazuo Shiraga, born in 1924 in Amagasaki, Japan, was a pioneering artist known for his dynamic performance paintings. Co-founding the avant-garde Zero Society, later merging with Gutai in 1955, Shiraga's 'Performance Paintings' saw him suspended over canvases, using his feet to create marks before audiences. He explored the body's relationship with artistic media throughout his career, exemplified by works like "Challenging Mud" (1955). Joining the Buddhist priesthood in 1971, he painted as Sodo until his passing in 2008. His posthumous recognition grew, particularly in the USA, with exhibitions like "Destroy the Picture: Painting the Void, 1949-1962." Today, his works are held in esteemed collections worldwide, including the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.