Hug
A member of Fluxus and a fixture among the Japanese-émigré artists in New York in the 1960s, Ay-O created playful objects for his Fluxus activities alongside rainbow-themed paintings, objects, and environments. To him, rainbows represent the "democratization of color,"[1] through which anything and anyone can be transformed. Created after Ay-O represented Japan in the 1966 Venice Biennale with an immersive installation bursting with colors, Hug depicts two embracing human silhouettes with a background and frame all rendered in six color gradations. The illusion created by the seamless support and artist-made frame points to the reality of Ay-O’s livelihood in New York, where he worked in carpentry to supplement his income.
[1] Kit Brooks, "Ay-O’s Happy Rainbow Hell," in Kit Brooks, Ay-O Happy Rainbow Hell (Washington D.C., 2023), p. 49. Quoting Hasegawa Kimiyuki, “Aiō: ‘niji’ wa iro wo ubai, honshitsu wo tōshisuru,” Bijutsu techō 568 (1986), p. 36.
[1] Kit Brooks, "Ay-O’s Happy Rainbow Hell," in Kit Brooks, Ay-O Happy Rainbow Hell (Washington D.C., 2023), p. 49. Quoting Hasegawa Kimiyuki, “Aiō: ‘niji’ wa iro wo ubai, honshitsu wo tōshisuru,” Bijutsu techō 568 (1986), p. 36.
Artwork Details
- Title: Hug
- Artist: Ay-O (Japanese, born Tamatsukuri, Ibaraki 1931)
- Date: 1967
- Medium: Acrylic on board
- Dimensions: 20 3/4 × 16 3/4 × 2 7/8 in. (52.7 × 42.5 × 7.3 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2026
- Object Number: 2026.176
- Rights and Reproduction: © 2026 Ay-O
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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