White Cube has announced its representation of Yoko Matsumoto, the Tokyo-born artist whose career spans six decades of color-drenched abstraction. This partnership, shared with Hino Gallery in Japan, marks a significant milestone in Matsumoto’s international recognition.
Born in 1936 in Tokyo, where she still resides and creates, Matsumoto’s artistic journey is a testament to the power of cultural cross-pollination. After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1960, a pivotal trip to New York in 1967 exposed her to the second generation of American Abstract Expressionists and Colour Field painters. This encounter with artists like Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler, and Mark Rothko would prove transformative, introducing her to materials that were then unavailable in Japan: acrylic paint, gloss-polymer medium, and raw cotton canvas.
Matsumoto’s signature “hazy” style, characterized by thin layers of acrylic pigment and gestural marks, emerged over the following decade. Her technique, physically demanding and deeply meditative, involved working on the floor during intense periods of concentration. The 1970s saw the introduction of her now-iconic pink hues, a color she believes resides “beneath inexpressible thought” and which has remained central to her practice for over three decades.
But Matsumoto’s artistic evolution didn’t stop there. She’s continuously explored new color palettes and techniques, incorporating vibrant greens into later compositions and even returning to oil painting while standing in the early 2000s, adapting her practice as the physical demands of floor work became too great.
White Cube’s representation of Matsumoto comes at an exciting time. February will see her painting “Edom Becomes Wilderness” (1989) on display at White Cube’s booth during MAZE Art Gstaad in Switzerland, while “Shapes in Nature VI” (1986) will grace Frieze Los Angeles. These exhibitions follow Matsumoto’s UK debut at White Cube Mason’s Yard, London, in January 2024, and a presentation at White Cube New York in June 2024.
Looking ahead, spring 2026 promises a major touring retrospective across several Japanese institutions, coinciding with Matsumoto’s 90th birthday. This survey exhibition will celebrate her extensive career and introduce her work to a broader international audience.
Irene Bradbury, Senior Director of Artist Liaison at White Cube, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “We are thrilled that Yoko Matsumoto, a highly respected gestural master in colour and form will join White Cube’s roster. Yoko’s paintings have been widely exhibited and collected by institutions throughout Japan, including The National Art Center in Tokyo; The National Museum of Modern Art in Kamakura; The National Museum of Art in Osaka; and the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, where I first encountered her work.”
Bradbury added, “Following the positive response to her first exhibition in the UK at our Mason’s Yard gallery, and her momentous return to New York having not shown there for almost 30 years, we are excited to introduce Yoko’s work to international audiences.”
Matsumoto’s joining of White Cube is more than just a new representation; it’s a celebration of a lifetime dedicated to the exploration of color and form. Her work, which transcends traditional representation and embraces the accidental and miraculous formations of color, stands as a bridge between Eastern and Western artistic traditions. As White Cube prepares to showcase her “classic ‘Pink’ paintings” at upcoming international art fairs, the art world eagerly anticipates the new chapters that this collaboration will write in the colorful story of Yoko Matsumoto’s artistic journey.
