Chiyu Uemae (Japanese, 1920-2018). Oil on board titled “Untitled, Black” depicting an abstract expressionist painting in red and black with a thick, textured surface. Inscribed with artist’s name and title along the verso of the frame. Dated 1971 along the verso. Chiyu Uemae began his artistic career as part of the Gutai Group, an artist collective in post-war Japan, founded by Yoshihara Jiro, Uemae’s mentor, in 1954. However, Uemae differed from his peers by not relying on action as the basis for his mixed media works. Instead, he was inspired by his formative training in Nan Ga, the southern school of Chinese painting, and Kyozome, or the Kyoto style of dyeing. His childhood also centered on non-figurative design. All these elements emerge in Uemae’s mixed media paintings which feature textile elements and patterned compositions. Unframed; height: 17 1/4 in x width: 12 1/2 in. Framed; height: 18 1/2 in x width: 13 3/4 in.