Norio Azuma: A Master of Serigraphy and the Modern American Canvas

The materials shown in this exhibition announcement and biographical essay reveal the depth, seriousness, and refinement of Norio Azuma’s artistic career. His work, described in these documents as “oil serigraphs on canvas,” represents a unique fusion of Japanese discipline and American modernist innovation. The invitation from Percival Galleries acknowledges a one-man show of Azuma’s recent works, underscoring the level of recognition he achieved during his active years. More than a simple exhibition notice, it serves as an entry point into understanding an artist whose canvases evoke both intellectual rigor and pure visual delight.

A brief glance at the list of institutions holding Azuma’s work confirms his broad public success. His prints and serigraphs reside in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Chase Manhattan Bank, The Free Library of Philadelphia, Art Institute of Chicago, Princeton University, University of California, M.I.T., Boston Public Library, Whitney Museum, St. Louis Museum of Art, National Academy of Science, the U.S. Information Agency, and dozens of respected regional institutions. Such widespread acquisition demonstrates the strong reception his work received from curators, collectors, and scholars across the United States.

The accompanying essay reflects the emotional and aesthetic response Azuma’s serigraphs often inspire. Viewers repeatedly describe encounters with his canvases as experiences of “sheer delight,” a testament not only to his skill but to the meditative clarity of his compositions. Attempting to categorize his work, the essay notes that Azuma’s approach aligns most closely with Cubism—not in imitation, but in the intellectual treatment of form and color. Just as Cézanne laid the groundwork for Cubism through the breakdown and reconstruction of form, Azuma extends this lineage by reintroducing color into geometric structures, giving his prints a sense of harmony, balance, and atmospheric complexity.

One of the most compelling aspects of Azuma’s work is his mastery of serigraphy. While the technique is traditionally associated with paper, Azuma brought an “Oriental origin” process to canvas, creating works that are both more durable and more visually resonant. His serigraphs achieve striking richness through layered screens—sometimes as many as 18—yielding subtle nuances of color and texture. The essay emphasizes that few artists matched Azuma’s refinement in this medium, a testament to his rigorous training and personal commitment to excellence.

Born in Japan in 1928, Azuma came to the United States in 1955 and became a permanent resident in 1959. He studied at Kanazawa Art College, Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, and the Art Students League in New York. By the time of this document, Azuma lived and worked in New York City with his wife and daughter, contributing meaningfully to the American art scene.

Taken together, these materials present Norio Azuma as a sophisticated, internationally recognized artist whose contributions to serigraphy and modern printmaking remain worthy of continued appreciation and study.