Paul Horiuchi

born Oishi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, 1906; died Seattle, Washington, 1999

BiographyAs a teenager, Paul Horiuchi studied sumi painting in his native Japan. When he immigrated to the United States in 1922 he began working for the Union Pacific railroad but continued to paint in his free time. He and his growing family survived World War II supported by his odd jobs and help from friends. His painting career began to take off in the mid 1940s and particularly after 1950 when an accident forced him to more actively market his paintings for sale bringing them to the attention of a broader audience of collectors, gallerists, and curators. Starting in the 1950s Horiuchi immersed himself in experimentation with the medium of collage, elevating it to a level beyond the purely decorative and exploring its relationship to both traditional Japanese sources and contemporary American principles of abstraction. He is considered one of the great mid-20th century masters of Northwest art and his work has been exhibited and collected nationally and throughout the Northwest region.

[source: TAM files, gallery texts]

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