Opening Saturday November 11, Wako Works of Art is very pleased to present an exhibition of paintings, drawings and prints by American artist Leon Golub. The artist, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 82, worked and exhibited extensively, and is recognized today as one of the most prolific post-war painters. This will be his first solo exhibition in Japan, since the 1996 Hiroshima Art Prize retrospective exhibition with his wife, artist Nancy Spero.

Schooled in Chicago in the 1940s and associated with the Monster Roster group, Golub stood in the periphery of the art world dominated by Abstract Expressionism in New York, and pursued figurative expression that he had found necessary to address political and social issues inherent at that time. Drawing formal references from Classical Greek and Roman figures, Art Brut movement, as well as photographs of war from modern media, Golub incorporated his unique sculptural technique - layering, dripping, scraping - in establishing the pictorial surface that reflected the angst and anxiety found in his subject matter.

In the course of over 50 years of artistic activity, Golub rendered an unflinching portrayal of man in struggle with the balance of power, violence and himself. In the 50s, his work showed influence of the "primitive" cultures; the early 60s, his works were a reflection on the war in Vietnam; from the mid-70s, the artist produced portraits of male dictatorial figures; in the 80s, his focus shifted to the acts of terror and inhumanity found within various social strata, and executed series such as Interrogation and Mercenaries. From the 90s towards his final years, Golub fs work showed renewed interest in mythological subjects (such as centaurs and satyrs), incorporated the use of graphics and explored his relationship with the art world.

This exhibition will present about 20 works by Leon Golub from various periods of his career; a bilingual artist fs monograph with texts by Kentaro Ichihara (Art critic and professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design) and Fumihiko Sumitomo (Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo) will be published in conjunction with this exhibition.

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