by Kumi Sugai
$1,000–$8,000. Common prints: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: Sugai's bold abstract art has appeal among collectors of both Japanese art and post-war European abstraction. His Paris gallery connections help maintain market visibility.
A woodblock print titled "Le Noir," French for "The Black," reflecting Kumi Sugai's deep engagement with the expressive power of darkness and negative space. Sugai spent decades in Paris, and his French-language titles mark the cultural dialogue at the heart of his practice. Black was not merely a color for Sugai but a force, recalling the [sumi](/glossary/sumi) ink of Japanese calligraphy and the bold contrasts of traditional hanga. This print likely presents a commanding dark form, possibly geometric or semi-calligraphic, asserting itself against a lighter ground with the directness of a brushstroke frozen in wood.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Le Noir was created by Kumi Sugai (菅井汲).
Le Noir depicts abstract.
![[abstract composition with diagonal woodgrain] by Gen Yamaguchi](https://1.api.artsmia.org/800/135949.jpg)