Yasuo Sumi (Osaka 1925, Itami 2015) is mostly noted for substituting unconventional Japanese objects for his brushes, including abacuses, umbrellas, or wooden sandals. He was one of the Gutai Association’s most active members and contributed to all 21 of its group exhibitions. After the disbandment of the Gutai group, Sumi went on to continue his artwork locally in Itami. After joining Gutai, Sumi also became a member of the International Art Club, the group represented by Taro Okamoto. He later joined the Japanese collective Artist Union (AU) in 1975. The group was then represented by Shozo Shimamoto and renamed as Art Unidentified.
Today, Sumi’s work has been showcased around the world including in the Guggenheim Museum’s landmark exhibition in 2013 “Gutai: A Splendid Playground,” in the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, and in Osaka’s National Museum of Art.
