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Shozo Hirai - Magnificent constructivist painting circa 1980
€1,150€1,035-10%Bid from €855
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Batalha, PortugalOn Whoppah since July 2024 • 61 sales
Product description
Shozo Hirai (1948–2024) Painting on panel — Acrylic on MDF Dimensions: 54 × 41.5 cm Signature: Red wax seal “S.H – Shozo Hirai” on the back Condition: Good (fleshing in the upper left corner) Framing: Work sold unframed Provenance: Artist's studio, Ixelles (Belgium) Period: 1975–1990
Explanation of the work: In this vertical composition, Shozo Hirai continues his exploration of pure geometry and the relationship between colored masses. Two rectangular forms—one black, dense, and opaque, the other red, vibrant, and luminous—are juxtaposed in a perfectly balanced arrangement. The white background, left exposed, acts as a breathing space, a zone of silence that creates tension between the two chromatic fields. The contrast between black and red, both direct and meditative, reflects the essential duality of Hirai's work: energy and calm, matter and emptiness, presence and withdrawal.
The economy of means, the precision of the lines, and the materiality of the painted surface lend this work a rare intensity. Each color seems to contain its own inner vibration, inviting the viewer to slow and focused contemplation.
Artistic Context
Between 1975 and 1990, Shozo Hirai developed a highly coherent pictorial language in Ixelles, based on the encounter between the rigor of European Constructivism and Japanese Zen spirituality. During this period, he reduced composition to its essential elements: line, color, and silence. Each work becomes a space for meditation, a field of controlled tension where geometry orders inner experience.
This painting perfectly illustrates this approach: the confrontation of black and red, within a white frame, evokes a mental architecture where each element finds its rightful place. The whole exudes a quiet power, a serenity built on rigor.
Commentary: A work of great formal restraint, this painting testifies to Shozo Hirai's chromatic mastery and meditative sensibility. Through the precision of its color relationships and the density of its impasto, it embodies a balance between tension and tranquility.
A rare painting, straight from the artist's studio, which powerfully expresses the encounter between European Constructivist thought and Japanese Zen spirituality.
Specifications
ConditionGoodColorsMulti ColorMaterialMDF (Medium-density fibreboard)Number of items1OrientationLandscapeArt sizeMediumHeight41 cmWidth54 cmDepth1 cmSigns of usageCrack, Chipped, Scratches
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About this seller
Batalha, PortugalOn Whoppah since July 2024 • 61 sales