On Kawara

(Japanese, 1933–2014)

On Kawara was an influential Japanese Conceptual artist. Best known for his Today series of paintings, Kawara produced simple, two-color acrylic paintings to document each day he woke up alive in the date, language, and format of the place in which they were made. He made almost 3,000 of these paintings in 112 different cities between January 4, 1966 and his death in 2014, with the body of work serving as an examination of the banality of existence and the passage of time. Born on December 24, 1932 in Kariya, Japan, he went on to study art and travel in Mexico where his father was the director of an engineering company. Much of Kawara’s later life was spent traveling between New York and Paris, marking the differences of life around the world through his serial artworks. He exhibited at several documenta events in Kassel, the Dia Art Foundation in New York, the Venice Biennale, the Kyoto Biennale, and the Tokyo Biennale, among others. Today, his works are in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Kunstmuseum Basel in Switzerland, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, among others. Kawara died on July 10, 2014 in New York, NY.

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On Kawara Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

On Kawara (337 results)
Feb. 17 (from Today series no.15), 1982

On Kawara

Feb. 17 (from Today series no.15), 1982

Sale Date: June 21, 2007

Auction Closed

Monday Sept. 6, 1999 (Today series no. 34), 1999

On Kawara

Monday Sept. 6, 1999 (Today series no. 34), 1999

Sale Date: May 17, 2007

Auction Closed

July 4, 1980, 1980

On Kawara

July 4, 1980, 1980

Sale Date: May 17, 2007

Auction Closed

Untitled - Five Decades (in 5 parts), 1968–2000

On Kawara

Untitled - Five Decades (in 5 parts), 1968–2000

Sale Date: May 16, 2007

Auction Closed

May 1, 1987

On Kawara

May 1, 1987

Sale Date: May 16, 2007

Auction Closed

Apr. 3, 1990 (+ 9 others; 10 works from Today...

On Kawara

Apr. 3, 1990 (+ 9 others; 10 works from Today...

Sale Date: February 27, 2007

Auction Closed

Apr. 8, 1978

On Kawara

Apr. 8, 1978

Sale Date: February 8, 2007

Auction Closed

Apr 7 1984, 1984

On Kawara

Apr 7 1984, 1984

Sale Date: October 17, 2006

Auction Closed

I got up at 8.42 A.M., 1976

On Kawara

I got up at 8.42 A.M., 1976

Sale Date: October 11, 2006

Auction Closed

Oct. 22, 1971

On Kawara

Oct. 22, 1971

Sale Date: June 22, 2006

Auction Closed

I got up (in 5 parts), 1970

On Kawara

I got up (in 5 parts), 1970

Sale Date: June 22, 2006

Auction Closed

Mar. 31, 1975, 1975

On Kawara

Mar. 31, 1975, 1975

Sale Date: June 22, 2006

Auction Closed

May 21, 1985, 1985

On Kawara

May 21, 1985, 1985

Sale Date: June 21, 2006

Auction Closed

July 8, 1981, 1981

On Kawara

July 8, 1981, 1981

Sale Date: June 21, 2006

Auction Closed

Nov. 19, 1981 (Today series no.43), 1981

On Kawara

Nov. 19, 1981 (Today series no.43), 1981

Sale Date: May 10, 2006

Auction Closed

Sans titre - I got up at (set of 31), 1971

On Kawara

Sans titre - I got up at (set of 31), 1971

Sale Date: April 26, 2006

Auction Closed

Nov. 8, 1989, 1989

On Kawara

Nov. 8, 1989, 1989

Sale Date: February 9, 2006

Auction Closed

Jan. 12, 1978, 1978

On Kawara

Jan. 12, 1978, 1978

Sale Date: October 23, 2005

Auction Closed

Nov. 30, 1985, 1985

On Kawara

Nov. 30, 1985, 1985

Sale Date: June 22, 2005

Auction Closed

Feb. 18, 1988, 1988

On Kawara

Feb. 18, 1988, 1988

Sale Date: October 23, 2004

Auction Closed

Thursday November 19, 1981 (Today..., 1981–1981

On Kawara

Thursday November 19, 1981 (Today..., 1981–1981

Sale Date: May 14, 2004

Auction Closed

Monday Sept.6,1999 (Today series no.34), 1999–1999

On Kawara

Monday Sept.6,1999 (Today series no.34), 1999–1999

Sale Date: November 14, 2003

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel, 1971–1971

On Kawara

Ohne Titel, 1971–1971

Sale Date: May 28, 2003

Auction Closed

Sept. 27, 1986 (Today series no.26), 1986–1986

On Kawara

Sept. 27, 1986 (Today series no.26), 1986–1986

Sale Date: November 14, 2002

Auction Closed

English (US)

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