Miçao Kono

1900 –1979

Miçao Kono was a Japanese artist who came to work in Paris in the early 1920’s. He painted in oils and watercolors, and also did a number of etchings.

Kono was particularly known for his paintings of nudes, often with Harlequins. His paintings were very popular in the Art Deco interiors of the time. They were romantic and sensuous; his work is similar to the great French-Japanese artist Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita.

Kono’s technique was unusual for it’s use heavy white over which her painted his subject in pastel colors. Either by design or by the passage of time the white paint always shows signs of cracking.