Yoshitaka Azuma (1977-2010)

Artist Yoshitaka Azuma died June 21 in Osaka due to asthma-related respiratory failure, ART iT has confirmed. Born in Osaka in 1977, Azuma earned a BA in Fine Art from Kyoto University of Art & Design and was represented by Hiromi Yoshii Gallery in Tokyo, where he last held a solo exhibition in January of this year. Azuma was known for richly detailed paintings and drawings in which outlined forms such as the figures of young girls were filled with dense, psychedelic imagery including skeletons, geometric patterns and imaginary landscapes. Representative of the Yoshii gallery's aesthetic favoring colorful, figurative works with a subcultural bent, Azuma was included in the group show of young Japanese artists "After the Reality," curated by Yoshii for New York's Deitch Projects in 2006. Other major group exhibitions in which the artist participated include Fukutake House at the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial in 2006 and "Portrait Session" at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art in 2007. A spokesperson for Hiromi Yoshii Gallery said that preparations are underway for a funeral for the artist, to be held in Osaka on June 24.