Taro Okamoto (岡本太郎)
Taro Okamoto was a towering figure in 20th-century Japanese art. A painter, sculptor, and public artist, his bold, primitive, and powerfully expressive works — including the iconic Tower of the Sun — define Japan's postwar artistic identity.
Background
Okamoto studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts before spending the 1930s in Paris, where he was deeply influenced by Picasso and the Surrealists. He returned to Japan during WWII and emerged afterward as the country's most provocative public artist. He rejected the division between 'fine art' and 'folk art,' embracing Jomon-period aesthetics and tribal motifs. His masterpiece, the Tower of the Sun (1970), remains the symbol of the Osaka Expo.
Style & Approach
Primitive, bold, unapologetically raw. Okamoto's work combines ancient Japanese Jomon pottery shapes with modernist abstraction. His colour palette is fierce — deep reds, blacks, golds — and his faces stare with large, hypnotic eyes. His famous motto was 'Art is an explosion' (芸術は爆発だ). His style is polarising but unforgettable — exactly what makes it collectible.
Notable Works
- Tower of the Sun (太陽の塔) — 70m tall sculpture for Expo '70 Osaka
- 'Myth of Tomorrow' — massive mural depicting the atomic bombing
- 'The Face of a Dog' — iconic painting
- Various public sculptures across Japan
- 'Art is an Explosion' print series
- Okamoto Museum permanent collection in Kawasaki
More from Taro Okamoto (岡本太郎)
Why Collectors Care
Okamoto posters and prints are a staple of Japanese vintage and select shops. The Tower of the Sun image alone is iconic — recognised worldwide as a symbol of 1970s Japanese design. Vintage Okamoto exhibition posters from the 1960s-70s fetch premium prices. His work appeals to both art collectors and vintage enthusiasts.
From TOWHOM's Shelf
If TOWHOM carries vintage Japanese art posters, Okamoto is the most likely name. His bold, primitive imagery contrasts beautifully with the clean minimalism of Noritake — giving the shop visual variety. A vintage Okamoto exhibition poster is a serious conversation piece.