Kiyoshi Otsuka Japanese, 1944-2020

Growing up in the mountains north of Tokyo, Otsuka recreates that appreciation of nature in his paintings. After leaving Japan, Kiyoshi Otsuka studied in Paris at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. Stimulated by the encouragement of Akiyama, a sculptor, friend and mentor, Otsuka moved to New York and enrolled at the Art Students League. There, he studied with Knox Martin, and later worked at a studio at the Arts Westchester landmark building in White Plains.

“Liquidity is often evident in some of my very abstract pieces. I recycle my own 'ancient' paintings, and these layers of experience meet with the immediate act of painting to accomplish deep color and space, and a tangible impression of natural form. I work with both a black and white as well as a colorful palette to explore nature in an abstract arena. The images I present speak to the beauty, intensity, and mystery of nature and our deep connection to its ever evolving and transformative power." – Kiyoshi Otsuka

After WWII, the global impact of Abstract Expressionism catalyzed a profound reevaluation of artistic practices worldwide, leading to the emergence of a new more universal understanding of abstraction that intertwined Eastern philosophies with Western techniques. The energetic brushwork and emotive color fields characteristic of Abstract Expressionism resonate with elements found in traditional Asian art, such as calligraphy and ink wash and create a rich dialogue that transcends geographical boundaries.

Moreover, the principles of impermanence, spontaneity, and interconnectedness prevalent in Eastern thought align with the Abstract Expressionist pursuit of pure expression. This philosophical convergence enables artists, including Otsuka, to move beyond mere stylistic borrowing to craft a dialogue that is equally about ideas and philosophies as it is about technique. His work has been exhibited in galleries in New York, London, Pennsylvania and Japan. Otsuka’s paintings are included in private collections in New York, Washington D.C., Rio, Tokyo, and Paris.