Minoru Niizuma - Japanese post-war minimalist sculpture

Minoru Niizuma (Japanese, 1930–1998) was a sculptor best known for his Abstract work in marble. Born in Tokyo, Japan, he studied at the National Toyko University of Fine Arts. Throughout his career, he taught sculpture at the Brooklyn Museum Art School and Columbia University in New York, NY. Niizuma carved marble, stone, granite, and volcanic rock into sculptures that range from strictly geometric to organic forms. He drew inspiration from traditional Japanese Folk Art, fabrics, and ritual vessels. Niizuma’s work is also closely related to the aesthetic of European Minimalist sculpture and Earth Art. He was particularly interested in nature..
Niizuma studied at the Tokyo University of Arts before moving to New York City.  After establishing himself as a prominent sculptor in New York and attending several stone symposiums, Niizuma worked to organize several in Japan.  He organized the Iwate Symposium for several years, inviting many sculptors to complete works in Iwate, Japan.