Biography

Maekawa has used burlap as the main material for his works throughout his career. Burlap has become almost so closely associated with the artist to the extent that it is no doubt what first comes to mind when we think of Tsuyoshi Maekawa. Before Maekawa’s arrival in the art scene, there were a few artists in art history who used burlap, such as Joan Miró and Alberto Burri, but Maekawa was the first who exhibited a lifelong persistence in using this material. Maekawa attached and sewed pieces of burlap to achieve a three-dimensional quality on the canvas, and he also added color by using oil paints on the surface. Maekawa had an unwavering persistence to his artistic process of using burlap, while also pursuing innovation and new shapes and effects. Alongside artists like Shuji Mukai and Takesada Matsutani, Maekawa is representative of Gutai’s second generation. Even after the Gutai movement dissolved, Maekawa continued his creative pursuits and participated in many international exhibitions.