Joji Kikunami

Born: Kobe city, Hyogo, 1923. Died: 2008
Period of Membership in GUTAI: 1966-1972

Joji Kikunami studied under Ryohei Koiso in Kobe, exhibiting at the “Action Exhibition” [Koudou Ten] after the war. He later joined the New Geometric Art Group and became a member of Gutai the following year after catching the eye of Jiro Yoshihara at the Action Exhibition.
Kikunami separated himself from the issue of expressing individuality, focusing exclusively on the visual experience of the audience. His works, which evoke optical illusions and hallucinations (through pieces in which several lenses are superimposed on fine stripes, pieces in which TV parts are used to create a moiré pattern, and the like), are worthy of being called Op art. His activities were not limited to Gutai, and he participated in many exhibitions related to environmental art, including the 1966 exhibition ”From Space to Environment”.