Born in Osaka, in 1887. Narashige KOIDE started to study the japanese painting course but changed his major and finished the western painting course in Tokyo Art School in 1914. He got Chogyu Prize at the 6th Nika exhibition in 1919. After staying in France in 1920, his painting style changed to simple. In 1923, he became a regular member of Nika-kai with Kinzo KUNIEDA, Jutaro KURODA, and Katsuyuki NABEI. He founded the Shinanobashi Institute of Western Style Painting with them in 1924. Having moved to Ashiya in 1926, he created his major art works, especially nudes, until his death in 1931.

Born in Osaka, in 1932. After quitting Kyoto Municipal College of Art, she studied at the Art Institute of Osaka Municipal Museum of Art. After that she studied under tutelage of Jiro YOSHIHARA she became a regular meｍber of Gutai Art Association. in 1955. She released original works like a “Electric Dress” a costume consisting of electrical wires and lit-up colored lightbulbs. After retirement of Gutai, she painted colorful works composed by a circle and a line and they are evaluated by showing her original spritual world.

Born in Osaka, in 1905. Jiro YOSHIHARA started to paint by himself in junior high school. In 1925, having moved to Ashiya, he got to know Jiro KAMIYAMA. He released his first exhibition in 1928. He sent his work in the 21st Nika-ten, upon the advice of Leonard FUJITA and he was selected for the first time. He participated in the avant-garde group in Nika-kai, named “Kyushitsu-kai” in 1938 and became a regular member of Nika-kai in 1941. After world war two, having founded the Ashiya City Art Association in 1948, he became a representative. In 1954, the avant-garde art group called “Gutai Art Association (Gutai)” was established by yoshida and led the avant-garde group. Gutai is highly regarded as a very important movement in postwar japanease art history ,domestically and internationally, because it is over the traditional ways of thinking of art.