Suda Kokuta (1906-1990)

The painting by Suda Kokuta depicts an ox, created using ink, oil pastel and gouache on cardboard. The ox is oriented towards the left side of the picture, occupying almost the entire pictorial space. Its head is lowered, and one of its front legs is slightly bent. The artist skillfully captures the ox's form, emphasizing its strength and presence.

The background of the painting is divided into two distinct planes. The lower level is painted in a soft pink hue, serving as the base on which the ox stands. Above it, there is an abstract background painted in a vibrant turquoise-blue color. This contrast between the two planes creates a dynamic visual effect, highlighting the central subject.

Positioned in the upper right corner of the painting is the title of the artwork, calligraphically rendered in two Chinese characters, "Shingyū" 尋牛, which translates to "Searching for the Ox". This title alludes to the famous Zen Buddhist metaphor of the Ten Oxherding Pictures, which depicts the spiritual journey of a practitioner seeking enlightenment.

Suda Kokuta's painting skillfully combines traditional materials and techniques with a contemporary aesthetic. Through the prominent depiction of the ox and the incorporation of the Zen Buddhist reference in the title, the artwork invites contemplation and reflection on the quest for self-realization and spiritual enlightenment.

Suda Kokuta was an important artist of the Japanese avant-garde. In 1955 he was invited by Yoshihara Jirō (1905-1972) to become a member of the famous Gutai group, but he refused, preferring to follow his own creative path. His sketchy yet complex painting, which combines various materials such as ink, oil pastel, gouache and pencil drawing, is a good example of Suda's late style, when he moved away from his abstract phase and returned to a more semi-abstract figurative painting.

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