Keizo Morishita

Keizo Morishita (Kitakyushu, 4 February 1944 – Milan, 5 April 2003) was a Japanese painter who lived most of his life in Italy.

Academy and early years

Morishita was born in Kitakyūshū-shi, in the Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan. In 1963, at 19 years old, he obtained a scholarship and moved to Milan to study Arts. He attended Marino Marini’s classes at the Brera Fine Arts Academy, where he graduated in 1968. Although Morishita majored in sculpture, his elected medium was painting. His mixed cultural identity, paired with a great intellectual curiosity, prompted him to explore different strategies and procedures from the majority of his fellow students. In the early Sixties, Morishita had direct contact with the avant-garde art scene in milan, which was still linked with Spatialism. His first solo exhibition took place in 1967 at Galleria La Chiocciola in Padova.

Artistic career

Throughout his career Morishita exhibited mostly in Italy, with exhibitions in Milan, Rome, Venice, Turin, Florence, Padova and Brescia. He also exhibited his work in Switzerland (Lugano and Geneva); France (Paris and Saint Tropez); Denmark (Copenhagen); Belgium (Ghent); England (Chester); Taiwan, China, Mexico, and Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Niigata and his hometown Kitakyūshū). Many art critics and curators have written about his work, including Franco Russoli, Roberto Sanesi, Emilio Tadini, Valerio Adami, Ottavio Missoni, Milena Milani, Carlo Franza, Luigi Carluccio, Renzo Margonari, Walter Schönenberger, Taijin Tendo, Keiko Asako, Tani Arata and Rolly Marchi.

Morishita died on 5 April 2003 in Milan.

Solo and group exhibitions

1967 - Galleria La Chiocciola, Padova
1969 - Galleria Richard Foncke, Ghent, Belgium
1970 - Studio Marconi, Milan
1972 - Galleria 42, Bologna
1972 - Galleria Barozzi Arte Contemporanea, Venice
1972 - Studio Paolo Barozzi, Milan
1972 - Studio Marconi, Milan
1973 - Galleria San Luca, Bologna
1973 - Galleria interarte, Genova
1974 - Galleria Il Triangolo, Pescara
1974 - Galleria La Chiocciola, Padova
1975 - Studio Marconi, Milan
1975 - Galleria Menghelli, Florence
1975 - Galleria San Luca, Bologna
1975 - Galleria Margherita, Taranto
1975 - Galleria Lanza, Intra
1975 - Galleria Richard Foncke, Ghent
1975 - Galleria Galliata, Alassio
1975 - Galleria il Tritone Dialoghi Club, Biella
1976 - Galleria Documenta, Turin
1976 - Galleria il Tritone Dialoghi Club, Biella
1977 - Gallerie L’Enseigne du Cerceau, Paris
1977 - Galleria La Chiocciola, Padova
1977 - Galleria Panchieri, Rovereto
1977 - Galerie Marie-Louise Jeanneret, Geneva
1978 - Galleria Dieci, Trieste
1978 - Galeria Lanza, Intra
1979 - Jiyugaoka Gallery, Tokyo
1979 - Ranka-Do Gallery, Osaka
1979 - Akira Ikeda Gallery, Nagoya
1980 - Studio Marconi, Milan
1980 - Seibu Departement Store Gallery, Tokyo
1980 - Ohfunato Dajichi Gallery, Ohfuriato
1980 - Head Art Gallery, Urawa
1980 - Gallerie Petit Formes Gallery, Osaka
1981 - Galleria Dialoghi Club, Biella
1981 - Azienda del Turismo Comune di Modena
1981 - Studio d’Ars, Milan
1982 - Chikugo Gallery, Kurume
1982 - Kuraya Gallery, Kitakyushu
1982 - Kumo Gallery, Tokyo
1982 - Jiyugaoka Gallery, Tokyo
1982 - Koh Gallery, Tokyo
1982 - Banco Santo Spirito, Rome
1983 - Galleria Lanza, Intra
1983 - 505 Gallery, Tokyo
1983 - Gallery Chimeria, Tokyo
1983 - Studio Marconi, Milan
1983 - Galleria Dialoghi Club, Biella
1983 - Galleria Nove Colonne, Trento
1984 - Galleria Il Salotto, Como
1984 - Galleria La Chiocciola, Padova
1984 - Ginza Gallery, Tokyo
1984 - Studio Malpensata, Lugano
1984 - Galleria Passardi, Lugano
1985 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
1985 - Ginza Gallery, Tokyo
1985 - Kumo Gallery, Tokyo
1985 - Kodoshia Gallery, Inchionoseki
1985 - Galleria Waldhause, Sils-Maria
1986 - Casa della Cultura Gobierno Estado de Puebla, Mexico City
1986 - Rafael Matos Galeria de Arte, Mexico City
1986 - Artestudio 36, Lecce
1987 - Asia Art Gallery, Taipei
1988 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
1989 - Villa Berlucchi, Franciacorta
1990 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
1990 - Galleria La Bussola, Turin
1991 - Galleria Eight Street, Tokyo
1992 - Galeri Ægidus, Randers, Denmark
1993 - Tenju-en Museum, Nijgata
1993 - Hambara-Hanga Museum, Mizunami-shi
1993 - Hara Museurn Arc, Shibukawa-shi
1994 - Città di Osimo
1994 - Big&Great, Palazzo Martinengo, Brescia
1994 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
1995 - Gallery Apa, Nagoja
1995 - Kunngi Gallery, Tokyo
1996 - Galleria La Bussola, Turin
1996 - Città di Castelmaggiore, Cremona
1996 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
1997 - Convento dell ‘ Annunciata, Rovato Brescia
1998 - Galleria Artestudio, Milan
1998 - Museo d’Arte Moderna, Gazoldo degli Ippoliti
1998 - Spazio Cultura, Milena Milani, Cortina d’Ampezzo
1998 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
1998 - Museo d’ Arte Moderna, Gazoldo degli Ippoliti M
1999 - Galleria Anna Osemont, Albissola
1999 - General Consulate of Japan, Milan
1999 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
2000 - Galleria del Naviglio, Milan
2000 - Galleria del Naviglio, Venice
2000 - Galleria Giotto and Company, Vigevano
2000 - Priamar Arte, Savona
2000 - Cantine di Franciacorta, Erbusco
2000 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
2001 - Kohln Rathaus, Cologne
2002 - Comune di Sesto Calende
2002 - Debbie’s Choice, Chester
2002 - Comune di Sondrio: Il colore dei sogni
2002 - Comune di Montagnana
2002 - Palazzo Pretorio, Sondrio
2002 - Atelier d’ Arte Savaia Albisola
2003 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
2005 - Comune di Teglio
2006 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
2006 - Comune di Cesena
2007 - Collezione d’arte contemporanea Lina Bortolon, Feltre
2009 - Studio F.22, Palazzolo
2010 - Atelier Giuseppe Ajmone, Carpignano Sesia