Tetsuo Mizù

Tetsuo Mizù was born in Tokyo. In 1967, he encountered the paintings of Modigliani and decided to consider him as his mentor. In the 1980s, Mizù astonished the European art world with his Flag series, composed of international maritime signal flags motifs. The charm of his works lies in their inherent ambivalence. Beneath the abstract expressions, clear messages are hidden, and vibrant, lively colours are divided by fine lines. His works coolly express the boundary that divides these two attributes or the interplay between them. Mizù skilfully fuses these patterns with the nostalgic memories of his time in Italy and the times he played flag games with his daughter, resulting in soft-hued rhythmic patterns that evoke abstraction. A ceramic mural from his Flag series, measuring 6 metres in height and 32 metres in width, is on display at the White Rink, the ice skating rink used during the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics. Additionally, Mizù created stained glass for the Church of St. Anne in Lavino, Rome, as well as a floor artwork and a monument for the event hall and the VIP hall at the Toda Speedboat Race Course, respectively. In 2009, he gained further recognition for his large-scale work from the Flag series, comprising six pieces measuring 3.5 metres, which were exhibited at a venue commemorating the 150th anniversary of the opening of Yokohama Port.