Painter. Born in Osaka, he was a son of a Buddhist monk. He studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and married fellow painter Yoneko Ikeda in 1921. In 1924, he went to France and attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. That year, painter Katsuzo Satomi introduced him to Maurice de Vlaminck, who strongly influenced his work. Saeki was also greatly impressed by paintings of Parisian scenes of Maurice Utrillo. Subsequently, the backstreets, bars and buildings of Paris became the principal motifs in his work, and he developed a style similar to that of Van Gogh. He returned to Japan in 1926 and formed an artists' society called "1930-nen Kyokai" (Society of the Year 1930). He returned to Paris in 1927 and tragically died destitute there. He has been called "The Van Gogh of Japan."
Painter. Born in Osaka, he was a son of a Buddhist monk. He studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and married fellow painter Yoneko Ikeda in 1921. In 1924, he went to France and attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. That year, painter Katsuzo Satomi introduced him to Maurice de Vlaminck, who strongly influenced his work. Saeki was also greatly impressed by paintings of Parisian scenes of Maurice Utrillo. Subsequently, the backstreets, bars and buildings of Paris became the principal motifs in his work, and he developed a style similar to that of Van Gogh. He returned to Japan in 1926 and formed an artists' society called "1930-nen Kyokai" (Society of the Year 1930). He returned to Paris in 1927 and tragically died destitute there. He has been called "The Van Gogh of Japan."
Bio by: Warrick L. Barrett
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