Shozo Hirai (1948-2024) - Composition néo-plasticiste

Shozo Hirai – Neoplasticist composition with red and yellow rectangles on a blue background – Acrylic on panel Circa 1980

Artist: Shozo Hirai (1948–2024) – Japan
Dimensions: 55.5 × 44.5 cm
Technique: Acrylic on panel
Framing: Modern natural wood frame

Signature: Red wax seal “S.H – Shozo Hirai” on the verso

Provenance: Artist’s Studio, Ixelles (Belgium)
Period: Circa 1980

Description
This geometric abstract composition is organized around a rigorous and powerful orthogonal structure typical of neoplasticism. Three vertical red rectangles occupy the upper part of the work on a blue background (slightly lighter in reality), while vast white luminous zones structure the rest of the composition through a complex network of thick black lines forming a dynamic architectural rhythm, almost labyrinthine in the lower section. Eight yellow geometric shapes (rectangles and squares) of varying sizes are integrated into the whole: two large squares in the lower left and right; several yellow rectangles of medium dimensions at different heights; a slender vertical yellow rectangle in the lower center; and a tiny yellow square at the center of the composition.

The acrylic material is applied with a generous and sensitive touch: the texture of the brushstrokes and the subtle reliefs are clearly visible, giving a physical, tactile presence to the color fields. The slightly irregular edges of the shapes add an organic subtlety to the whole, tempering the geometric rigor with a human, contemplative note.

Perfectly faithful to the spirit of Piet Mondrian’s neoplasticism and the De Stijl movement, this work nonetheless shows a personal voice: that of a silent balance, a contemplative serenity, and a flawless mastery of formal reduction. The red wax seal “S.H – Shozo Hirai” affixed to the verso authenticates the work and nods to the traditional Japanese seal tradition.

Biography
Shozo Hirai (1948–2024) was a Japanese artist based in Ixelles, Belgium, from the 1970s onward. His work sits within geometric abstraction and dialogues with the principles of neoplasticism initiated by Piet Mondrian.

Working independently in his Brussels studio, he developed a structured and uncluttered painting, founded on the balance of forms, the rigor of lines, and the use of primary colors. His works typically bear the red wax seal “S.H – Shozo Hirai,” inspired by the traditional Japanese seal.

This work is a representative example of his abstract production created in Belgium around 1980.