Lugano
Born in Osaka in 1937, Takesada Matsutani is a central figure in contemporary Japanese art. From his earliest days, stricken with tuberculosis while studying painting, he was forced to follow a largely self-taught path. During these formative years, the influence of Surrealist collage mingled with the Japanese painting tradition, which Matsutani has always recognized as an integral part of his own artistic identity.
In 1959, a decisive meeting with Sadamasa Motonaga brought him closer to the Gutai Art Association, the revolutionary postwar Japanese collective that aimed to overcome the limits of conventional art through direct interaction with materials. Matsutani joined the group in 1963, remaining with it until its dissolution in 1972. Within the Gutai group, Matsutani developed an unprecedented visual language: he began to experiment with vinyl glue, blowing into it or manipulating it with fans to create organic, soft forms that evoked the human body in metamorphosis. It is the beginning of a poetics that stages matter as a living, dynamic entity in constant transformation.
1966 marked another crucial juncture: winner of first prize in the 1st Mainichi Art Competition, Matsutani was awarded a scholarship and moved to Paris. There he worked for four years at Atelier 17, the historic printmaking studio run by Stanley William Hayter. This experience proves pivotal: immersed in an international and experimental environment, he learns French, marries and finds his own stable base. Hayter’s influence prompts him to rethink his artistic practice, toward a more essential yet deeply organic aesthetic.
After the end of the Gutai, Matsutani continues his artistic journey with consistency and radicality. Vinyl glue remains at the center of his research, but is enriched with new elements, particularly graphite, which he uses to construct large surfaces on paper. With patience and rigor, he layers single strokes to create black, shiny, almost metallic backgrounds.
In more than six decades of practice, Matsutani has created a coherent and ever-evolving body of work based on the tension between control and spontaneity, between matter and spirit. He has exhibited in major solo and group shows around the world, and his works are now part of prestigious international collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the Albertina Museum in Vienna.