Yoshikawa is currently being rediscovered in the art market. There is a renewed focus on her after exhibitions at London's Marlborough Gallery in May 2024 and another at the Musee D’Art Moderne Et Contemporain (MAMCO) in Geneva. Her works were also evident at Art Basel in June. Yoshikawa, who worked in Zurich until her death, is essentially being rediscovered by a new generation of collectors. 

Shizuko Yoshikawa: «Possible Progressions», 2024, Marlborough Gallery, London. (Image: Eva Herzog)

The Rise of Concrete Art in Switzerland

Concrete art plays a central role in Switzerland given various historical developments and the strength of the wider art scene in Zurich. Swiss artists Max Bill, Camille Graeser, Richard Paul Lohse, and Verena Loewensberg formed the core of a movement that is notable for its mathematical precision and abstract design forms. Yoshikawa left Japan in 1961 for Switzerland, finding an inspiring home in such surroundings.

Asian Roots and Western Traditions

She developed her design philosophy by blending the traditions of the Zurich Concrete artists, and the constructivist discipline of Western art, with her Asian roots. Her works portray a combination of clear geometric forms with a subtle aesthetic that is dominated by light and color.

Shizuko Yoshikawa at her studio in Zurich, 1970 (Image: S. Yoshikawa and J. Müller-Brockmann Stiftung, Zürich)

Forgotten and Rediscovered

It is unusual for a forgotten artist to be rediscovered by renewed interest and exhibitions in the art world and market. But Yoshikawa is a clear example that proves the contrary. Although she was recognized during her lifetime, much of her work was forgotten after her death. But now, given the growing international focus on forgotten female voices in art, Yoshikawa has again become a factor in the public consciousness. Works of hers on display at the Marlborough Gallery in London generated a great deal of interest and served to again establish her name in the firmament of art internationally.

Back on the Market

«The Shizuko Yoshikawa and Josef Müller-Brockmann Foundation established by the artist in 2016, has spared no effort since 2019 to revive interest in works of hers from the estate and present them to the public. That has increasingly awakened the interest of museums and the art world and, in tandem with that, increased recognition and awareness of Yoshikawas,» emphasizes Gabrielle Schaad, the Head of the Foundation and a Lecturer at the Zurich University of the Arts.

Shizuko Yoshikawa: «Possible Progressions», 2024, Marlborough Gallery, London. (Image: Eva Herzog)

Affordable Prices

Yoshikawa follows in the steps of the generation exemplified by the Swiss painter and leader of the Zurich-based Concrete art movement Verena Loewensberg (1919-1986). She was influenced by her, breaking with the strict rationality of Concrete art prevalent then by bringing a certain dynamism and three-dimensional depth onto her canvas. Her works, including relief prints, drawings, and screen prints, are still available on the international market at relatively affordable prices. Relief prints can be purchased for between 30,000 and 50,000 pounds sterling, while drawings and screen prints can be had for under 1,000 pounds.

Shizuko Yoshikawa: «Possible Progressions», 2024, Marlborough Gallery, London. (Image: Eva Herzog)

Breaking Rules

Yoshikawa was born in Ōmuta, Japan, in 1934 and became an artist after first making a detour in the graphic and corporate design worlds. Sie studied at the University of the Arts in Ulm co-founded by Max Bill and married the influential Swiss graphic designer  Josef Müller-Brockmann in 1967. In the early 1970s, she started to work on her first abstract reliefs, successively developing her characteristic and restrained style that grew increasingly close to that of Minimalism.

Current Collector Focus

Yoshikawa represents an undogmatic variant of Concrete art, which was usually seen as rational and calculated, helping to increase its attraction to a new and younger generation of devotees.

Shizuko Yoshikawa: «Possible Progressions», 2024, Marlborough Gallery, London. (Image: Eva Herzog)

Supporting Young Artists

Yoshikawa's works are managed by the Shizuko Yoshikawa and Josef Müller-Brockmann Foundation in Zurich. One of its key objectives has been to preserve and disseminate her works. Another critical part of the Foundation's works is to award a Shizuko Yoshikawa art prize, which is conferred on young female artists every two years, helping them to establish themselves in the art world while furthering their careers. The award is endowed with 25,000 francs and will be given out for the fourth time this autumn.

Shizuko Yoshikawa: «Possible Progressions», 2024, Marlborough Gallery, London. (Image: Eva Herzog)

Comprehensive Exhibition in Japan

At the end of the year, there will be a comprehensive retrospective «Space Between. Shizuko Yoshikawa and Josef Müller-Brockmann» at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka. It will start on 21 December 2024 and last until 2 March 2025, highlighting the work of Yoshikawa and that of her husband, helping to build stronger bridges between Eastern and Western traditions of art.