“Godfather of Japanese Erotica” Toshio Saeki Passes Away at 74

Japanese artist Toshio Saeki, also known as the “Godfather of Japanese Erotica,” has just passed away at the age of 74. The news arrived via Instagram by Nanzuka, his representative Tokyo-based gallery. So far, the exact cause of his death has yet to be confirmed.

Saeki cemented his place as an influential figure in Japan’s postwar underground art scene, painting and illustrating a slew of erotic works that incorporated elements of humor, gore, satire, and even Japanese folklore. Tokyo was going through a particularly interesting phase around the ’70s: the city had dug itself out of economic turmoil and was enjoying prosperity at a height no one would have ever expected. But this also came with drastic social changes, and Saeki’s view of the world played into this change, capturing humorous, expressive imagery that questioned things like shame, innocence, and sexual taboo.

Born in 1945, the artist spent his early years in Osaka, before moving to Tokyo in ‘69. Though he wasn’t always keen on speaking about his childhood, he did share that samurai-period dramas were something he enjoyed throughout his younger years, and sometimes he would also talk about his earlier illustrations, which were heavy with motifs like Shinto spirits, schoolgirls and corpses. In 1970, Saeki published Toshio SAEKI art book, which became such a success he was invited to host a solo exhibition in Paris. In ‘72, he created album cover art for John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Some Time in New York City. A good majority of his career was spent in the underground art scene, however, only gaining international attention in recent years. Currently, his work Ureshi Daruma, 2018 is being displayed at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery in New York in an exhibition titled “Tokyo Pop Underground,” a show that examines the evolution of contemporary Japanese art.

Take a look at some of Toshio Saeki’s works on NANZUKA’s website.