Naohiko Inukai (1937–2020) was a Japanese-American painter and sculptor known for his rigorous geometric abstraction and shaped canvases that explore the structural and perceptual qualities of color and form. Born in Kobe, Japan, Inukai moved to the United States in the late 1950s to pursue his artistic education. He studied at the University of California, Los Angeles, and later earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where he developed his distinctive abstract vocabulary.

Inukai’s work is characterized by precise geometry, clean edges, and carefully calibrated color relationships. His shaped canvases extend beyond the traditional rectangular format, emphasizing the painting as a physical object and reinforcing the interaction between form and space. Rooted in the traditions of Hard-Edge painting and Minimalism, his work reflects a disciplined approach to structure while maintaining a subtle sensitivity to proportion, rhythm, and visual balance.

Throughout his career, Inukai was closely associated with the American Abstract Artists group, contributing to the ongoing development of postwar abstraction in the United States. His work reflects both his Japanese heritage and his engagement with American modernist principles, combining restraint, clarity, and formal precision.

Inukai exhibited widely in galleries and institutions across the United States and internationally. His paintings are recognized for their intellectual rigor and refined simplicity, and he remains an important figure in the history of geometric abstraction, known for his thoughtful exploration of the relationship between color, shape, and spatial perception.