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While the Gutai movement has received great acclaim in recent years, Uemae is one of its oldest witnesses (1955). The charm of Uemae's works resides in the elaborate materials he uses and the accumulation of energies that take place in them. Living in various trades as a crane operator or apprentice in a traditional dyeing factory in Kyoto, Uemae never stopped painting. In 1953, Uemae met Yoshihara, founder of the Gutai group. Since then, the artist has participated in all of the group's exhibitions until its dissolution. From his limitless curiosity arises a rich and plural work, made up of as many two-dimensional works composed of an accumulation of motifs painted with a knife as of monumental sculptural pieces in wood.