Lot Essay
Niizuma Minoru was born in Tokyo in 1930. After graduating from the National Tokyo University of Arts in 1955 he exhibited with the Modern Art Association, a society of artists in Tokyo, from 1954-58. In 1957 he joined the exhibition jury of the Association.
In 1956 Niizuma was awarded a commission for a monument by the city of Tokyo and in 1958 by the Tokyo Asia Center. In the same period, 1955-58, he also was an instructor in drawing and sculpture at Tokyo's Seijo School. In 1959 Niizuma moved to New York city. From 1964-70 he served as an instructor at the Brooklyn Museum Art School. From 1972-84 he was adjunct professor of art at Columbia University in New York, although he spent the year of 1974 teaching graduate students at the International University of Lugano, Switzerland. Beginning in 1983 Niizuma has directed the Stone Institute of New York and has been active in sculpture symposia worldwide.
Niizuma has had numerous one-man exhibitions at many galleries, including the Takemiya Gallery, Tokyo, 1955, the Fugetsudo Gallery, Tokyo, 1956 and 1957, the Sato Gallery, Tokyo, 1958, the Seibu Museum of Art, 1976, the Contemporary Sculpture Center of Tokyo and Osaka, 1979, the Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, 1984, the Mekler Gallery, Los Angeles, 1986, the Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, 1986. In New York he has had one-man shows at the Howard Wise Gallery, 1966 and 1968, at the Guild Hall, Easthampton, 1977, and at Gimpel and Weitzenhofer Gallery, 1972-74 and 1979. Niizuma was awarded the grand prize at the 3rd Hakone Open Air Museum exhibition, 1977.
Niizuma has also participated in many group exhibitions, including those at the Matsuzakaya Gallery, Tokyo, 1957-58, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 1965, 1973-74 and 1981, the Pittsburgh International Exhibition, 1967, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Sculpture Annual, 1966 and 1968, the Solomon R. Guggenheim, New York, 1973, 1983-84, 1987-88 and the Neuberger Museum, Purchase, New York, 1983-84, the Korean Cultural Service, New York, 1991, the Hyatt Regency hotel, Seoul and at the Kua Chun Museum, Kua Chun, Korea.
The artist currently works at his studios in Hoboken, New Jersey and Lisbon, Portugal. He work can be found in museum, private and corporate collections throughout the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D. C., the San Francisco Museum of Art, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and Osaka, the Seibu Museum, Chase Manhattan Bank and General Mills.
In 1956 Niizuma was awarded a commission for a monument by the city of Tokyo and in 1958 by the Tokyo Asia Center. In the same period, 1955-58, he also was an instructor in drawing and sculpture at Tokyo's Seijo School. In 1959 Niizuma moved to New York city. From 1964-70 he served as an instructor at the Brooklyn Museum Art School. From 1972-84 he was adjunct professor of art at Columbia University in New York, although he spent the year of 1974 teaching graduate students at the International University of Lugano, Switzerland. Beginning in 1983 Niizuma has directed the Stone Institute of New York and has been active in sculpture symposia worldwide.
Niizuma has had numerous one-man exhibitions at many galleries, including the Takemiya Gallery, Tokyo, 1955, the Fugetsudo Gallery, Tokyo, 1956 and 1957, the Sato Gallery, Tokyo, 1958, the Seibu Museum of Art, 1976, the Contemporary Sculpture Center of Tokyo and Osaka, 1979, the Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, 1984, the Mekler Gallery, Los Angeles, 1986, the Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, 1986. In New York he has had one-man shows at the Howard Wise Gallery, 1966 and 1968, at the Guild Hall, Easthampton, 1977, and at Gimpel and Weitzenhofer Gallery, 1972-74 and 1979. Niizuma was awarded the grand prize at the 3rd Hakone Open Air Museum exhibition, 1977.
Niizuma has also participated in many group exhibitions, including those at the Matsuzakaya Gallery, Tokyo, 1957-58, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 1965, 1973-74 and 1981, the Pittsburgh International Exhibition, 1967, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Sculpture Annual, 1966 and 1968, the Solomon R. Guggenheim, New York, 1973, 1983-84, 1987-88 and the Neuberger Museum, Purchase, New York, 1983-84, the Korean Cultural Service, New York, 1991, the Hyatt Regency hotel, Seoul and at the Kua Chun Museum, Kua Chun, Korea.
The artist currently works at his studios in Hoboken, New Jersey and Lisbon, Portugal. He work can be found in museum, private and corporate collections throughout the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D. C., the San Francisco Museum of Art, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and Osaka, the Seibu Museum, Chase Manhattan Bank and General Mills.