Ryuji Tanaka (1927-2014) was a member of the Gutai Art Association and the Pan-real Art Association, two significant avant-garde art groups in post-war Japan. 

After thinly coating the entire surface with pigments, he added ambiguous forms and applied minuscule scratches. 

While in the 1960s Tanaka mainly used dark shades, his works from the 1980s and 1990s incorporated more colours, lending them a brighter quality. 

He also added glass powder to create white blurs.

The expression of beauty, while exploring the properties of natural elements, remained at the heart of his practice. 

His estate is represented by Axel Vervordt Gallery. 

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