Minol Araki Bio

Bada Shanren (Zhu Da) (Chinese, 1626-1705) 
Birds in a lotus pond (detail), ca. 1690 
10 3/4 x 80 3/4 in. 
 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art 
 
Not available for private acquisition

Birds in a Lotus Pond (detail)

Minol Araki at LewAllen Galleries

Bird by Lotus

Minol Araki - Bird by Lotus

Bird Sleeping

Minol Araki - Bird Sleeping

A Bird That Ate a Lot of Rabbits & Turned White

Minol Araki - A Bird That Ate A Lot Of Rabbits & Turned Whit

Bird on Persimmon Branch

Bird on Persimmon Branch - Wall Card

An artist who seamlessly integrated Eastern and Western influences, Minol Araki (1928-2010) was one of the first truly international contemporary painters out of postwar Asia. Born in China to Japanese parents, Minol Araki’s life and artwork defied easy categorization. His decades-long career spanning nearly every genre reveals the impact of his constant world travel. He drew inspiration from across Asia, the US, and Europe, and from the modern art he encountered. A passionate student of the past as well as a keen observer of his present, Minol Araki was profoundly influenced by the scholar-artists of classical ink paintings known as literati. His work can be found in the collections of twenty major museums, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Photo

Araki’s bird paintings originate from his close study of esteemed literati precedents while simultaneously asserting a highly original artistic viewpoint. After viewing 17th century master Bada Shanren’s mynah bird paintings in the collection of his mentor, the famed traditionalist painter Zhang Daqian, Araki was inspired to capture these lively, even feisty, black birds in his own distinctive style. A symbol of honesty and independent thinking – and due to their black coloration, well-suited to representations in ink – their enduring appeal to a scholar-artist is evident from the 17th to the 20th century.

LewAllen Galleries

Camille

Selected Bird Paintings by Minol Araki