Thirty Years, Two Worlds

Lincoln Glenn Gallery is pleased to present Edward Zutrau: Thirty Years, Two Worlds, a solo exhibition of works that encapsulate the artist's evolution through his work created between 1958 and 1980. Shaping his artistic identity through his time abroad, Zutrau's arrival in Japan in 1958 undoubtedly impacts his philosophical approach to art. At a time of reconstruction following the devastating toll of World War II, artists and creatives are a critical part of the conversation, with some believing a return to traditional arts and craftsmanship, often referred to as kōgei, strengthens a sense of identity rooted in history and precedence. In the 1950s and 60s, Edward Zutrau inhabited two worlds on opposite sides of the globe: Tokyo and New York. The experience of straddling different cultures and residing in a foreign country during a time of great transformation – both personally for the artist and nationally for Japan – has a profound, lasting impact on his style and approach. Zutrau develops a distinct version of abstraction that can only come into being through multicultural exchange and intense introspection, coalescing in subtle calligraphic lines, distilled structures, and fields of created or perceived space. Zutrau receives considerable attention during his years living in Japan, earning five solo exhibitions and gaining popularity in the local art scene. This period is critical to his development as an artist, exposing him not just to a different culture and artistic styles, but to cities and landscapes that inspire his compositions. After returning from Japan, Zutrau goes on to become a lifelong expressionist and a fixture in the 1970s New York art scene, receiving three one-person shows at the Betty Parsons Gallery and teaching at the Fashion Institute of Technology and New York University. Edward Zutrau: Thirty Years, Two Worlds is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue featuring an essay by Claci Jo Conover.