Ay-O - 怒(黒色バック) - (Anger (Black Background))

Modern | Sōsaku Hanga Silkscreen Print

Ay-O’s 2001 cat series reaches its dramatic finale in this snarling rainbow-striped feline head set against a deep black field. Building on the success of his 1978 works “ねこ” (Cat), “あくび” (Yawn) and “叫び” (Scream), he returned to the motif with six new prints—this “Anger (Black Background)” (Raisonné No. 914) stands out for its intense contrast and vivid hues, making it a highly sought-after piece in his catalogue.  😾🌈

• Year & Edition: 2001 · Ed. of 100 (45/100) (editioned, signed & dated in pencil to plate).
• Medium: Silkscreen on Arches paper, printed by Tokuzo Okabe.
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 36.00 cm × W: 30.90 cm; Image H: 23.00 cm × W: 21.20 cm.
• Condition: Beautiful; image face unmarked with vibrant, saturated colour; paper clean, crisp & intact.
• Notes: Part of Ay-O’s 2001 cat suite (#909–914); listed as Raisonné No. 914 in Rainbow Rainbow Rainbow: Ay-O’s Rainbow Prints Catalogue Raisonné 2000–2011 (epjp/ePublishing, 2012).

About the Artist

Ay-O (born 1931) is a seminal figure in postwar Japanese avant-garde art, celebrated for his immersive “Rainbow” series of vibrant paintings, silkscreens and installations. Early influences included the Demokrato Artist Association and the Society for Creative Art Education, which fostered his experimental spirit. In the 1960s he joined George Maciunas’s Fluxus movement, collaborating with Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik and Claes Oldenburg on boundary-pushing performances. Ay-O’s playful, multi-sensory use of gradated colour has earned him international acclaim, with major exhibitions at the National Museum of Asian Art (Washington, D.C.) and Kunsthal Aarhus, and works held in the British Museum, MoMA (New York) and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. [ ← View All Works by Ay-O]