Girl, 1973

Shu Takahashi  

Shu Takahashi was born in Hiroshima in 1930. In 1950 he moved to Tokyo and in spite of mother's opposition to his artistic aspiration, entered Musashino Academy of Fine Arts. He has been living and working in Rome since 1963. In 1987 he received the Education Ministers Art Encouragement Prize and the next year the Japan Arts Grand Prix (This award is given to one of the best works of art of the year by the Shinchosha). In 1996 he taught at the Kurashiki University of Sciences and Arts. In his country, he formed together with other artists the “Nouveau Art Group”, aimed at revolutionary visual language. In 1956 he held his first solo exhibition. 

He received the Dokuritsu Prize and his ‘Way to the Moon’ was bought by the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, which awarded him the Yasui Prize for new artists. He became well-known in Italy and since 1969 he has formed a stable relationship with the Galleria dell’Ariete in Milan. He took part in the Venice Biennale in 1976 and in the Rome Quadriennale in 1977. Amongst his exhibitions his Retrospective at the GNAM in Rome (1993) and the 2003-2004 Spirit of Gold Exhibition at the Edoardo Chiossone Oriental Art Museum in Genoa.