Untitled Continuous File-1988

Saika, who decided to pursue a career in art during the heyday of art informel in the 1950s, is primarily known for his delicately structured monochromatic drawings using a carpenter’s pencil on Japanese torinoko paper. Fixing the pencil’s pigment on the paper requires a process that involves applying a foundation made of glue, chalk and whitewash; drawing with pencils of different hardness; and finally applying another layer of whitewash. The results are pictures composed of subtle shades of white and gray. When inspecting them in detail, they appear at once to be filled with organic kinds of shapes reminiscent of cells or blood vessels. While being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Saika’s output and the amount of time consumed, the viewer is inspired to imagine ceaselessly changing and growing cities, or waves that never appear in the same way twice.