[June 18-21, 2026] KOTARO NUKAGA to Exhibit Works by Saori Akutagawa, Post-War Japanese Avant-Garde Painter, at World's Leading Art Fair "Art Basel" in a Solo Presentation

KOTARO NUKAGA will exhibit at the international art fair "Art Basel in Basel," held in Basel, Switzerland, from Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, June 21, 2026.

This exhibition will feature the works of Saori Akutagawa (1924 – 1966), one of the few female avant-garde painters in post-war Japan, whose work has been rapidly re-evaluated both domestically and internationally in recent years. This presents an extremely rare opportunity to trace the evolution of her energy as she pursued her unique form of expression throughout her approximately 15-year artistic career.

Exhibition Highlights

1. A Comprehensive Overview of Her Artistic Career: From Early Oil Paintings and Dyed Works to Abstractions from Her New York Period

This exhibition, marking her debut at Art Basel, offers a comprehensive survey of Saori Akutagawa's approximately 15-year artistic career. It will feature a wide range of works, from precious early oil paintings and drawings in oil pastel to her signature dyed works, and culminating in the abstract oil paintings from the 1960s developed after her move to the United States. Visitors can experience the artist's resilient spirit and the evolution of her expression, which dynamically transformed through different periods.

2. Innovative Dyed Expressions: Elevating Traditional Techniques into Painting, Reconstructed as a Unique Language

After graduating from the Tokyo School of Music (now Tokyo University of the Arts) and marrying composer Yasushi Akutagawa, Saori Akutagawa entered the world of painting around 1950 as a means of self-expression. She incorporated dyeing techniques, then largely confined to the realm of "crafts," into her serious painting practice. Her "Woman" series, selected by Taro Okamoto and awarded a special prize at the "40th Exhibition of the Nika Association" (1955), showcases a vibrant, life-affirming aesthetic. Her dyed works, imbued with immense passion, such as the "Folktales and Myths" series inspired by the Mexican Mural Movement and her travels, possess an unparalleled innovativeness among her contemporaries.

3. A Turning Point Noted by International Experts: Resonance with Minimalism and the "Little-Known New York Period Leading to Abstraction"

Following her move to the United States in 1959, within the fervent environment of the Art Students League of New York, her expression shifted towards "abstract oil paintings" characterized by restrained colors and organic forms. While resonating with the burgeoning Minimalism in America at the time, she rejected conformity to trends, creating organic lines drawn as if breathing. This transition from dyeing to abstraction, distinct from a rational and inorganic aesthetic, is a crucial turning point highly acclaimed by curators both in Japan and abroad, and will be a major highlight of this booth.

Recent Re-evaluation Trends

Although Saori Akutagawa passed away at the young age of 41, her pioneering artistic world has recently seen a rapid increase in collections and exhibitions at major museums worldwide. Following exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and acquisitions by M+ in Hong Kong, 2024 marked her 100th birthday, celebrated with a relay exhibition across ten museums in Japan. Furthermore, she continues to be selected for major exhibitions such as "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation" (M+) and the "Anti-Action" exhibition (Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art) in 2025–2026. In 2026, her work is also set to be newly acquired by the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (K20) in Germany.

While Akutagawa's work has often been discussed in the context of confronting feminism and social constraints, her diaries reveal "the happiness of being able to express and communicate with people," indicating that her core motivation was the sheer joy of creation itself. We will convey her raw vitality and free spirit, as she lived fully as an artist, transcending attributes and frameworks with ease, from Basel to the world.

Exhibition Details

Art Basel in Basel 2026 Venue: Messe Basel (Messeplatz 10, 4058 Basel, Switzerland)

Dates: VIP Days (Invitation Only) ■ First Choice June 16 (Tue) 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

First Choice and Preview June 16 (Tue) 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

First Choice and Preview, One Day VIP & Two Day VIP Card holders June 17 (Wed) 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Vernissage June 17 (Wed) 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Public Days June 18 (Thu) – June 21 (Sun) 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Participating Artist: Saori Akutagawa Booth No: D1 (Hall 2.0 / Feature Sector) Official Website: https://www.artbasel.com/basel

Related Publications

At our booth, you can also view the bilingual (Japanese-English) catalog "Intense. Burning. Powerful. Saori Akutagawa: Life and Works," planned and edited by NUKAGA GALLERY (Tokyo, Ginza), which has been involved in building Saori Akutagawa's archive for many years and was published in 2024. This volume, featuring 243 works from her early to late periods, along with excerpts from her diaries and sketchbooks, offers insights into her resilient inner world.

Title: "Intense. Burning. Powerful. Saori Akutagawa: Life and Works"

Supervision: Kasumi Kudo

Planning and Editing: NUKAGA GALLERY

Specifications: Japanese-English Bilingual, ¥2,200