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 Padua.

Artistic career Throughout his career Morishita exhibited mostly in Italy, with exhibitions in Milan, Rome, Venice, Turin, Florence, Padua 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, Padua 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, Padua 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, Padua 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, Padua 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.