Minoru Niizuma Japanese-American, 1930-1998

While Niizuma preferred stone, particularly marble, he also demonstrated his artistic prowess by experimenting with materials such as bronze, as in this sculpture, as well as granite, volcanic rock and others. Niizuma’s exceptional attention to detail extended to masterful use of stone textures and veins. This meticulous approach added depth and character to his creations, pushing the boundaries of conventional art forms.

After graduating from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1955, Minoru Niizuma exhibited with the Modern Art Association from 1954 to 1958. He later moved to New York in 1959 and served as an instructor at the Brooklyn Museum Art School from 1964 to 1970. From 1972 to 1984, he held the position of adjunct professor at Columbia University, further contributing to the artistic community through his teaching and mentorship.

Solo exhibitions of Niizuma’s work have been held at the Seibu Museum in Tokyo in 1976, the Umeda Museum of Modern Art in Oskaka in 1977, the Contemporary Sculpture Centers in Tokyo and Osaka in 1979, Galerie Nichido in Tokyo in 1989, and in New York at the Howard Wise Gallery in 1966 and 1968, the Gimpel & Weitzenhoffer 1972-74, 1977 and 1979, and in Los Angeles at the Meckler Gallery in 1983, 1986, and 1989. In 1986 Niizuma had a one-man exhibition in Lisbon at the Gulbenkian Museum. His work is represented in museum collections including the Guggenheim Museum, the Hirshhorn, the SFMOMA and the Museum of Modern Art.