“Hatachi” はたち - 靉嘔 Ay-O - Japan

靉嘔 Ay-O (born 1931)
“Hatachi” (はたち), 1995

An original signed silkscreen by internationally acclaimed Japanese avant-garde artist 靉嘔Ay-O, widely known as the “Rainbow Artist.” numbered 176/250

Shipping method: DHL Express

This work, titled “Hatachi”, was created in March 1995 as a commemorative artwork celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Ikeda Museum of 20th Century Art in Japan.

The composition depicts two elegant birds facing each other, their gracefully curved necks forming a heart-like shape. Ay-O’s celebrated rainbow spectrum flows across the birds, water and surrounding landscape in rhythmic bands of yellow, orange, red, purple, blue and green.

The work is an original silkscreen from a limited edition of only 250 impressions.

This example is individually numbered 176/250 in pencil at the lower left and hand-signed “Ay-O ’95” at the lower right. The Japanese title “はたち” appears beneath the image.

The accompanying documentation from the Ikeda Museum of 20th Century Art identifies the work as:

* Artist: Ay-O
* Title: Hatachi
* Technique: Silkscreen
* Edition: 250
* Printer: 助田 憲亮Kenryo Sukeda
* Date: March 1995
* Issued to commemorate the museum’s 20th anniversary

The combination of Ay-O’s signature rainbow imagery, hand signature, numbered limited edition and museum commemorative provenance makes this an appealing example of Japanese post-war printmaking.

The artwork is presented framed and matted as shown in the photographs.

Use: Fine art display, interior decoration, private collection, Japanese post-war art collection, Fluxus collection or contemporary print collection.


Size

Image area:
Height: 16 cm×Width: 21 cm

Overall framed size:
Height: 30.5 cm×Width: 35.5 cm×Depth: 3 cm



Weight
1000 g / 1.0 kg



Condition
The artwork is generally in good condition, with vivid colors; a few very small spots of minor surface/color loss are visible in the printed area. The frame shows some age-related wear and minor damage; please carefully examine the detailed photographs.



Artist Profile
Ay-O (born 1931) is an internationally recognized Japanese avant-garde artist and a major figure associated with the international Fluxus movement.

After graduating from the Art Department of Tokyo University of Education in 1954, Ay-O moved to New York in 1958. During the early 1960s, he became involved with Fluxus, the influential international network of experimental artists, composers and performers.

Ay-O became particularly celebrated for his exploration of sensory perception. His famous Finger Boxes invite participants to experience hidden objects through touch, while his extensive Rainbow Series transforms figures, landscapes, animals and environments through the full spectrum of visible color.

His distinctive use of rainbow gradations earned him the internationally recognized nickname “Rainbow Artist.”

Ay-O represented Japan at the 33rd Venice Biennale in 1966, where he presented his Rainbow Tactile Room. He also exhibited at the São Paulo Biennale in 1971 and participated in numerous international exhibitions and Fluxus projects.

His international significance has received renewed institutional attention in recent years. In 2023, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art presented “Ay-Ō’s Happy Rainbow Hell,” the first museum exhibition in the United States dedicated to the artist, bringing together more than 80 works spanning much of his nearly seven-decade international career.

From December 2023 to May 2024, Hong Kong’s M+ Museum presented the major exhibition “Ay-O: Hong Hong Hong,” examining his artistic development from the 1950s through the 2000s and his important relationship with Fluxus.

These major international exhibitions demonstrate the continuing scholarly and institutional recognition of Ay-O as an important figure in Japanese post-war and international avant-garde art.