Op Art by Kumi Sugaï signed silkscreen Variation J 1978
Kumi Sugaï
Op Art by Kumi Sugaï, "Variation J", 1978 signed silkscreen in original Japanese frame
Four squares rotate around a central diagonal like a pinwheel, in a vivid vermilion red and deep black. Each square holds a circle in reversed colors: red discs float on black grounds, black discs sit in red fields. Fine pinstripes in green and white run through the black areas. They make the surfaces vibrate and give the composition a quiet optical pulse. Variation J is Kumi Sugaï at his most refined: Japanese graphic clarity, Parisian modernism and the energy of Op Art in one image.
Printed in 1978, the silkscreen has the flat, saturated colour and crisp edges the technique is known for. It is hand-signed "Sugaï" in pencil and presented in its original Japanese frame, with a Nomura Multiple Art Center artist label on the verso. With its bold palette and strong graphic presence, it suits mid-century, Space Age, Brutalist or contemporary interiors.
Signed but not numbered
The pencil signature is the artist's own mark of approval, and it separates an authorised impression from a later reproduction. The lack of an edition number means this impression isn't tied to a position in a numbered run. That is less common on the market and appeals to collectors who value a direct, hand-signed link to the artist.
Kumi Sugaï (菅井汲, 1919–1996) was born in Kobe and moved to Paris in 1952. There he developed from gestural, calligraphic abstraction into the bold geometric style of his mature work. He used flat colour, hard edges and strong symbols, with echoes of torii gates, road signs and the speed of modern life.
He won major international print prizes, including the David Bright Prize at the Venice Biennale (1962), the Grand Prize at the Kraków Biennale (1966), and awards in Ljubljana, Grenchen and São Paulo. His work is in the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Stockholm and many Japanese national and prefectural museums. He remains one of the most internationally recognised Japanese abstract artists of the postwar era. The bio label on the frame backs this up.
Details
- Medium: silkscreen (serigraph) on paper, signed in pencil, not numbered
- Year: 1978
- Frame: original Japanese metal frame, with mat
- Dimensions (framed): H 60.5 x W 60.5 x D 2.5 cm / H 23.8 x W 23.8 x D 1 in
Colors may slightly vary due to photographic lighting sources or your monitor settings.
The print will be shipped insured overseas in a custom made wooden case.
Cost of transport to the US, Euro 225, is case included.
Wear consistent with age and use.
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Kumí Sugai, Festival A, Japanese Modernism, Geometric Abstraction, Op Art, Post-War Art, Limited Edition Print, Signed Print, Screenprint, Serigraph, 1970s Modern Art, Paris School, Graphic Abstraction, Collectible Print, Original Frame, Mid-Century Modern Art.