Artist Database

Shoichi Hasegawa was a contemporary Japanese abstract painter and printmaker known for his evocative watercolors that blend transparency with rich, symbolically coded layers. Born in Yazu, Japan, Hasegawa studied drawing and painting at the Kokuga Institute in Kyoto. His artistic vision was shaped by influences from Lyrical Abstraction and renowned artists such as Mark Rothko and Paul Klee, resulting in works characterised by soft pastel palettes and textured layers that reflect the labour-intensive process behind their creation.

In 1961, Hasegawa moved to Paris, where he worked with British artist Stanley William Hayter at Atelier 17, marking the beginning of his international exhibition career. His paintings and delicate prints are now part of prestigious collections, including the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Norrköpings Museum of Art, and the Museum Fuji in Tokyo. Hasegawa lived and worked in Val-d'Oise, France, a place that once inspired the celebrated Impressionist master Claude Monet, until his passing in 2023.