Onishi Shigeru: Photography and Painting
Saturday, January 31 - Sunday, March 29, 2026
- Closed
- Mondays (except February 23, March 23), February 24
- Hours
- 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (8:00 pm on Fridays)
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.
Exhibition Overview
A mathematician suddenly appeared on the art scene
Onishi Shigeru (1928–1994), born in Okayama Prefecture, pursued his unique creative work applying topology while researching mathematics at Hokkaido University. The Tokyo Station Gallery is presenting the first major retrospective of Onishi's work in Japan. A highly talented postwar Japanese artist, Onishi gained international recognition through creations that transcended the boundaries of mathematics, photography, and painting. This exhibition showcases the breadth of his work, exploring dynamic expression while pursuing mathematical precision.
Self-portrait, 1950s-1960s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Self-portrait
1950s-1960s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Correspondence, c.1957, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Correspondence
c.1957, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown, 1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown
1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Highlights
A unique exploration that stunned photography critics
In an era when realism and journalism were considered the mainstream of photography, Onishi's photographs were truly "non-standard". Onishi created an intensely intricate image by uniquely combining various techniques, including multiple exposures, solarisation (black-and-white inversion), and uneven application of boiling developers. They showcase a transcendent visual that intuits the esoteric concept at the heart of his mathematical research: "superinfinity." When the international trend "subjectivist photography" aimed at new possibilities of photography spread from Germany to Japan, Onishi's photographs responded to this and were highly regarded as expressions that led the times.
Title Unknown, 1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown
1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Farm and School Building, c.1957, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Farm and School Building
c.1957, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown, 1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown
1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Here lies an abstract ink painting radiating overwhelming power and presence!
In the 1950s, as postwar Japan began to flourish, Onishi presented his original paintings to the world. At that time, the Informel movement, advocated by Michel Tapié, swept through the Japanese art world. Many artists, including the Gutai Art Association, practiced passionate and intense artistic expression. Tapié discovered the paintings that Onishi was working on without anyone knowing. This stunned critics of his time. His undulating lines, like raging waves, are a sight to behold. You will experience the feeling of sinking into the infinite expanse shown by the image of the collected ink.
Title Unknown, 1950s-1960s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown
1950s-1960s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown, c.1962, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown
c.1962, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
This is the first time in Japan to see his entire body of work!
Critics such as Takiguchi Shuzo and Haga Toru praised Onishi's works, and Michel Tapié introduced them to Europe. However, Onishi was not bound by world affairs, fame, or fortune; he simply immersed himself in the production of "seeking the way." During his lifetime, his art was not widely talked about for a while after his death, partly because there was little human interaction. The turning point came in the 2010s. Photo exhibitions in Japan and France caught the attention of Western curators and art historians, who recognized the importance of the international development of Informel. His photographs were acquired by MoMA in New York, and a photo exhibition was held at FOAM in Amsterdam. A solo exhibition featuring photography and paintings took place at the Bombas Gens Centre d'Art in Valencia. This exhibition will display carefully selected masterpieces from over 1,000 photographs and paintings. Additionally, manuscripts and extensive materials related to his mathematical research, another way in which Onishi expressed himself, will be exhibited, revealing the full scope of his work for the first time in the world.
Title Unknown, 1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown
1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown, 1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Title Unknown
1950s, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Unraveled Vision, c.1957, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Unraveled Vision
c.1957, ©Estate of Shigeru Onishi, courtesy of MEM
Information
- Admission Fees
-
Adults: 1,300 (1,100) yen, High school and University students: 1,100 (900) yen
Junior high-school students and younger: Free- ＊Prices in ( ) indicate the advance ticket prices.
- ＊Advance tickets are available online from December 25, 2025 to January 30, 2026.
- ＊Persons with disability certificate or similar receive a 200 yen discount, and one accompanying helper is admitted free.
- ＊Students must present student ID upon entrance to the museum.
- Ticketing
-
Where to Buy Tickets:
- ・At Online
- ・At the Entrance of Tokyo Station Gallery
- ＊Please purchase tickets online in advance to ensure smooth entry.
- ＊Please purchase tickets at the museum if you wish to receive a discount by presenting a coupon or membership card. Please note that you may be asked to wait to enter during congested times.
- Organized by
- Tokyo Station Gallery (East Japan Railway Culture Foundation)
- With the special cooperation of
- MEM
- Sponsored by
- T&D Insurance Group