Tadashi Sugimata (1914-1994) was a significant Japanese artist recognized as a leading figure in postwar Japanese avant-garde and abstract painting. Born in Tokyo and a graduate of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts) in 1938, his early work was influenced by Surrealism. In 1939, he co-founded the Bijutsu Bunka Kyokai (Art and Culture Association), an avant-garde group of surrealist artists and poets.After World War II and leaving the Bijutsu Bunka Kyokai in 1953, Sugimata's style shifted towards abstraction in the mid-1950s, influenced by the Art Informel movement. He became known for his dynamic abstract compositions, including his notable "Kikko" (tortoiseshell) series from the 1960s, which often explored geometric forms and textured surfaces. Sugimata exhibited extensively both domestically and internationally, including at the Venice and São Paulo Biennales, and was an influential professor at Tama Art University and Tokyo University of the Arts.