Michimasa Naohara

Born: Kobe city, Hyogo, 1941. Died:1995
Period of Membership in GUTAI: 1965-1972

Naohara exhibited at the 12th Modern Art Exhibition in 1962. In 1963, he participated in the 16th Ashiya City Exhibition following an introduction by Chiyu Uemae. He became a member of Gutai after participating in the 15th Gutai Art Exhibition in 1965, which he continued to do up until the 21st exhibition. He also exhibited at the Midori-kan entrance hall of the Osaka Expo. After Gutai disbanded, he distanced himself from his creative activities and established a painting institute for children. He also started a publishing campaign for teaching handicraft using scrap wood. Naohara’s work is characterized by its numerous gentle curved lines. These white lines, which are distributed over the black background to such an as extent as to mask it completely, are each accompanied by subtle fluctuations, and are therefore likely to confuse the viewer’s eyes. His canvases, which impart a sense of movement, were in line with Gutai trends after 1965.