A Great Talented Belgian Master of Overwhelming Powerful Brush Work

Pierre Alechinsky (1927-), renowned for his powerful brush work as well as his unique ambivalent style between figurative and abstract, is one of the representative Belgian contemporary artists. It was within the activities of an Avant-gard artistic group COBRA, founded in 1948, that Alechinsky distinguished himself in the postwar art scene. This passionate expressionistic movement didn’t last long but Alechinsky would inherit its sprit. He also had a relationship with Japan, particularly with the Japanese Avant-gard calligrapher Morita Shiryu, whose free and fluid brush power deeply influenced Alechinsky. And, he was also inspired by American comics of those days. This contact engendered his original compositions with frame-like divisions. The exhibition Pierre Alechinskiy, held in the year of the 150th Anniversary of Belgium-Japan Friendship, is the long-awaited first retrospective in Japan.