Born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture in 1919. Studied at Osaka Art School and worked as a graphic designer before moving to France in 1952, where he began working in printmaking (lithography) in 1955. He lived in Paris until his later years and was highly acclaimed in France, Europe, and the United States for his unique style.

- Biography

1954 Exhibitions at Galerie Craven (Paris) and Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels)
1955 St. George’s Gallery (London)
1957 Exhibited at the 1st Tokyo International Print Biennale; Galerie Le Gendre (Paris)
1958 Galerie Creuzevault (Paris); Hilt Gallery (Basel, Zurich)
1959 Prize of the City of Zagreb at the 3rd Ljubljana International Print Biennale
1960 Kootz Gallery (New York); National Museum in Leverkusen (Germany)
1961 Grand Prize, 2nd Grenchen Triennial for Color Prints
1962 David E. Bright Foundation Prize at the 31st Venice Biennale
1965 Best Foreign Artist Award at the 8th São Paulo Biennial
1967 Seriously injured in a car accident while driving his Porsche, but survived
1969 Returned to Japan for the first time in 18 years to attend the completion of “Festival de Tokyo,” commissioned by The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1971 Awarded the Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour
1976 Kumi Sugai National Retrospective Exhibition
1983 Kumi Sugai: Painting in Motion—Beyond Clarity exhibition
1996 Passed away from heart failure at the age of 77

His works are included in major museum collections worldwide, including:

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro