Biography
Susumu Endo is a pioneering Japanese printmaker and graphic designer who has spent decades exploring the intersection of technology and traditional aesthetics. Born in 1933 in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, Endo studied at Musashino Art College and the Kuwasawa Design School, initially training as a graphic designer before turning to fine art printmaking.
Endo's artistic journey began in lithography in 1979, when he started creating prints of everyday objects such as pencils and eggs. This early work established his interest in the contemplative observation of mundane subjects. However, his practice took a revolutionary turn in the 1980s when he became one of the first Japanese artists to introduce digital photography, computer-generated image composition, and offset plate-making technology into the printmaking process.
Endo's mature work blends photographic and non-photographic processes through computer manipulation, mixing the reality of natural landscapes with abstraction to create singular surrealistic images. His 'Space & Space' series, which he has developed over several decades, transforms photographs of natural settings — grass, flowers, trees, sky — into meditative compositions that hover between representation and pure abstraction. Despite his use of cutting-edge technology, the resulting prints evoke a contemplative serenity reminiscent of the atmosphere at a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
All of Endo's artworks are produced as limited edition offset lithograph prints, a medium he pioneered for fine art printmaking in Japan. His technical innovations have been recognized with numerous awards at national and international print exhibitions.
Endo's works are held in the permanent collections of the British Museum in London, the National Museum of Warsaw in Poland, the Sao Paulo Art Museum in Brazil, and the Ibiza Contemporary Art Museum in Spain, among other institutions in Japan and abroad. He has been represented by the Tolman Collection of Tokyo and has exhibited internationally throughout his career.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1933
- Nationality
- 🇯🇵Japan
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
- Subjects
- NatureLithographAbstract
- Works Indexed
Frequently Asked Questions
Susumu Endo is a pioneering Japanese printmaker and graphic designer who has spent decades exploring the intersection of technology and traditional aesthetics. Born in 1933 in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, Endo studied at Musashino Art College and the Kuwasawa Design School, initially training as a graphic designer before turning to fine art printmaking.
Susumu Endo was active born in 1933. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Susumu Endo's work was shaped by the Contemporary Mokuhanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Contemporary Mokuhanga: Contemporary mokuhanga (literally "wood-block print") encompasses artists working from approximately 1970 to the present who continue or reinvent traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques.
Susumu Endo's prints frequently feature nature, lithograph, abstract.
Susumu Endo is a gallery-represented printmaker whose work has been shown at established galleries specializing in contemporary Japanese prints. Gallery representation provides a consistent market. Prices range from $200 for smaller works to $5,000 for major compositions. Most prints sell in the $480–$1600 range. Gallery representation provides curated exposure and supports steady demand.
