Hiryu (Flying dragon), 1988

Shiraga was born in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. He graduated from Kyoto Municipal Art School with a major in Japanese-style painting. He changed over to Western-style painting, then studied under Yoshiwara Jiro (1905-1972). In 1955 he became a member of the Gutai Art Society. He and Yoshiwara were the two most important members of the society. In 1957, Michel Tapiès invited Shiraga to join the "Informel" group, and his work became popular as "action-painting." He won a prize in the Premio Risone exhibition in Italy in 1959.