★ Item Description


Underground Avant-Garde Gem: Toshio Saeki's Visionary Illustrations for "Study of How People Die" Book (Language: Japanese)


Cover illustration and inside illustrations by Toshio Saeki for the book entitled "Study of How People Die" (Shinizama no kenkyu) authored by Masaaki Hiraoka and Tatsu Okunari


Embark on a journey into the enigmatic realm of Toshio Saeki, an iconoclastic force within the underground avant-garde art movement. Introducing the unparalleled work, "Study of How People Die" (Shinizama no kenkyu), a collaborative masterpiece by the minds of Masaaki Hiraoka and Tatsu Okunari.

This extraordinary edition boasts 223 pages adorned with striking cover illustrations that bear the unmistakable imprint of Saeki's subversive creativity. Yet, that's just the tip of the artistic iceberg – prepare to be enticed by 16 insert pictures, meticulously tailored to amplify the essence of each chapter. These visual marvels, painstakingly conjured by the avant-garde virtuoso himself, Toshio Saeki, resound with his iconic status as an underground trailblazer.

While certain pieces of Saeki's work might have found their way into later volumes, the illustrations gracing the pages of this book encapsulate the very essence of his commercial portfolio. Each illustration serves as a testament to Saeki's genius, capturing the core of "Study of How People Die" with an intensity and innovation befitting an artist of his stature.

This edition transcends the ordinary confines of a book – it's a tangible tribute to Saeki's status as an underground luminary, a treasure trove that reverberates with his enduring influence. For aficionados of counterculture art and enthusiasts of Saeki's avant-garde journey, possessing this masterpiece equates to preserving a fragment of artistic revolution.

Seize the chance to claim your stake in Saeki's legacy – an embodiment of his artistic brilliance that seamlessly melds literature with the audacious world of underground expression.


Bio of Toshio Saeki:

Born in 1945 in Miyazaki prefecture in Japan. He learned western painting at the Art Department of Hiyoshigaoka High School in Kyoto. After moving to Tokyo in 1969, he made a debut as an illustrator featured on the popular weekly magazine for young men Heibon Punch in 1970. First publication ‘Saeki Toshio Gashu (Works of Saeki Toshio)’ published by Agleman Publishing, Tokyo in 1970. He impressed the public with its eroticism and cruelty in vivid cover illustrations on Ninja novels authored by Futaro Yamada. One of the icons of the underground culture of 1970’s. There are great many fans even in overseas for the touch as a modern-day ukiyo-e. A number of exhibitions have been held in countries including the U.S. and France. He passed away on November 21, 2019 at the age of 74.

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