Susumu Endo

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. This early work established his interest in the contemplative observation of mundane subjects. His practice took a decisive turn in the early 1990s, when he became an early adopter of computer-based image-making in Japanese printmaking, integrating photography, digital manipulation of color and composition, and lithographic platemaking into his 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.

His artworks are produced as limited-edition lithographs, created by transferring his computer-composed images to the printing plate. His technical innovations have been recognized with 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 São Paulo Museum of Contemporary Art 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.