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Shu Takahashi moved to Tokyo to pursue his artistic dream, he entered Musashino Academy of Fine Art. He soon dropped out from the school but became acquainted with the painter Kotaro Midorikawa, a member of Independent Artist's Association. A major stylistic change was experienced in 1957 when the line in his work became sharper and the form became simpler. He also became more concerned about texture. Takahashi's move to Italy in 1963 was a major turning point to his career. In Rome, he developed his own artistic language by painting simple form in primary colours. Superfici R647 (Surface R647) (Lot 517) is an iconic work of this period. On a monochrome orange-yellow ground, Takahashi created visual depth by building repetitive structure and intervening the space systematically. Apart from gallery shows in Italy, he participated in the Venice Biennale in 1976. A retrospective show was held by Galleria Nationale d'Arte Moderna, Rome and the Museo di Castello Romano, Rome in 1993.