Keizo Morishita


Keizo Morishita 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 obtain 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 mostly 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 ; France ; Denmark ; Belgium ; England ; Taiwan, China, Mexico, and Japan. 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 passed away on 5 April 2003 in Milan.

Solo and Group Exhibitions