Toshio Saeki Exhibition
Nanzuka Underground
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Toshio Saeki
NANZUKA is pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by Toshio Saeki. This marks the artist’s first exhibition in Japan in seven years since his last solo show before his death, held at the gallery in 2018.
Toshio Saeki (1945-2019) was born in Miyazaki Prefecture, and after spending his childhood years in Osaka, moved to Tokyo in 1969. The following year, he made his debut with a few pages of gravure featured in the men’s weekly magazine Heibon Punch, published by Heibon Publishing (now Magazine House). In 1970 he released his first collection of works entitled Toshio SAEKI art book (Agrément-sha). Saeki’s work soon gained much popularity and acclaim internationally, drawing praise from such figures as Shuji Terayama and Tatsuhiko Shibusawa for his distinct style that interwove elements of eroticism, humor, and horror, as well as his work being used for the cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1972 album “Sometime in New York City.”
Saeki’s works, which can indeed be regarded as a contemporary form of Shunga (Japanese erotic art) or Yokaiga (ghost and monster art), and are not only confined to the context of Japan’s underground illustration scene, and have been exhibited widely across the globe. Even after his death, he continues to strengthen his presence as an artist who embodies the uniqueness of Japanese culture and history, having presented his works in group exhibitions including “Tokyo Pop Underground” at Jeffrey Deitch (New York) in 2019 and “Beauties, Ghosts, and Samurai” at the Lithuanian National Museum of Art in 2024.
Saeki later mentioned the first year of his career, 1970, as being that which was particularly impressionable. While the Osaka Expo celebrated Japan’s rapid economic growth, he recalls Tokyo at the time as an eclectic amalgam of social phenomena and entertainment cultures such as student activism, psychedelic posters, underground theater, the peacock revolution, folk gatherings, and the yakuza films produced by Toei Company. It is evident that Saeki’s own style of work resonated with this spirit of the times.
At the same time, the struggle for freedom of expression was already underway in 1970, and there are many stories of Saeki’s work being socially condemned, such as a publishing company receiving a warning from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for publishing his work. In recent years, sexual expression, which has long been considered taboo in the context of culture, has increasingly been measured one-sidedly in terms of “discomfort,” and questions as to its aesthetic and historical value, or what is truly desirable politically and socially, are often left undiscussed. In this respect, Saeki’s work can be seen as a stirring rebuke to this trend.
The world of black humor and eroticism that permeate Saeko’s works is replete with provocative gimmickry, which by means of unveiling various sexual taboos, serves to stimulate our inner selves. From observing the high literary qualities of his works as conceived through the various forms of love and desire that are inherent within them, it is indeed evident that such have not necessarily been depicted through mere lustful inclinations. Furthermore, what is distinctive of Saeki’s work in terms of technique, is his expression of “lines.” In recent years, Saeki’s “lines” have sometimes been described as reminiscent of the “Ligne claire” (meaning “clear line”) style of drawing seen in Bandes dessinées or so-called Franco-Belgian comics, yet it is clear that Saeki, by capturing the exquisite boundaries of profound and lyrical themes through seemingly simple yet calculated “lines,” has created a unique and phantasmal world of work that is like no other.
This exhibition introduces a selection of Saeki’s original illustrations centering on those produced between the 1970s and 1980s.
We look forward to welcoming you to the exhibition.
A limited number of books and edition works will be available to purchase at the gallery and the NANZUKA Online Store from April 4, 2025, in correspondence to this exhibition.
This exhibition includes works that contain sexually explicit and violent content. For this reason, we ask that visitors under 16 years of age refrain from entering the second floor of the gallery. We also recommend that visitors who are sensitive or feel at unease with these themes to refrain from viewing the exhibition. There are no age restrictions for the Hiroh Kikai exhibition, held concurrently on the first floor of the gallery.
Toshio Saeki (1945-2019) was born in Miyazaki Prefecture, and after spending his childhood years in Osaka, moved to Tokyo in 1969. The following year, he made his debut with a few pages of gravure featured in the men’s weekly magazine Heibon Punch, published by Heibon Publishing (now Magazine House). In 1970 he released his first collection of works entitled Toshio SAEKI art book (Agrément-sha). Saeki’s work soon gained much popularity and acclaim internationally, drawing praise from such figures as Shuji Terayama and Tatsuhiko Shibusawa for his distinct style that interwove elements of eroticism, humor, and horror, as well as his work being used for the cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1972 album “Sometime in New York City.”
Saeki’s works, which can indeed be regarded as a contemporary form of Shunga (Japanese erotic art) or Yokaiga (ghost and monster art), and are not only confined to the context of Japan’s underground illustration scene, and have been exhibited widely across the globe. Even after his death, he continues to strengthen his presence as an artist who embodies the uniqueness of Japanese culture and history, having presented his works in group exhibitions including “Tokyo Pop Underground” at Jeffrey Deitch (New York) in 2019 and “Beauties, Ghosts, and Samurai” at the Lithuanian National Museum of Art in 2024.
Saeki later mentioned the first year of his career, 1970, as being that which was particularly impressionable. While the Osaka Expo celebrated Japan’s rapid economic growth, he recalls Tokyo at the time as an eclectic amalgam of social phenomena and entertainment cultures such as student activism, psychedelic posters, underground theater, the peacock revolution, folk gatherings, and the yakuza films produced by Toei Company. It is evident that Saeki’s own style of work resonated with this spirit of the times.
At the same time, the struggle for freedom of expression was already underway in 1970, and there are many stories of Saeki’s work being socially condemned, such as a publishing company receiving a warning from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for publishing his work. In recent years, sexual expression, which has long been considered taboo in the context of culture, has increasingly been measured one-sidedly in terms of “discomfort,” and questions as to its aesthetic and historical value, or what is truly desirable politically and socially, are often left undiscussed. In this respect, Saeki’s work can be seen as a stirring rebuke to this trend.
The world of black humor and eroticism that permeate Saeko’s works is replete with provocative gimmickry, which by means of unveiling various sexual taboos, serves to stimulate our inner selves. From observing the high literary qualities of his works as conceived through the various forms of love and desire that are inherent within them, it is indeed evident that such have not necessarily been depicted through mere lustful inclinations. Furthermore, what is distinctive of Saeki’s work in terms of technique, is his expression of “lines.” In recent years, Saeki’s “lines” have sometimes been described as reminiscent of the “Ligne claire” (meaning “clear line”) style of drawing seen in Bandes dessinées or so-called Franco-Belgian comics, yet it is clear that Saeki, by capturing the exquisite boundaries of profound and lyrical themes through seemingly simple yet calculated “lines,” has created a unique and phantasmal world of work that is like no other.
This exhibition introduces a selection of Saeki’s original illustrations centering on those produced between the 1970s and 1980s.
We look forward to welcoming you to the exhibition.
A limited number of books and edition works will be available to purchase at the gallery and the NANZUKA Online Store from April 4, 2025, in correspondence to this exhibition.
This exhibition includes works that contain sexually explicit and violent content. For this reason, we ask that visitors under 16 years of age refrain from entering the second floor of the gallery. We also recommend that visitors who are sensitive or feel at unease with these themes to refrain from viewing the exhibition. There are no age restrictions for the Hiroh Kikai exhibition, held concurrently on the first floor of the gallery.
Schedule | Apr 4 (Fri) 2025-May 2 (Fri) 2025 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://nanzuka.com/en/exhibitions/toshio-saeki/press-release | ||||
| Venue | Nanzuka Underground http://www.nug.jp | ||||
| Location | 3-30-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 | ||||
| Access | 8 minute walk from exit 5 at Meiji-jingumae Station on the Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines, 10 minute walk from the Takeshita exit of Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-5422-3877 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it  |
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