Vasari Art Codex

candle obituary schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 9 link 14 artists, 4 galleries

Remembering Raghu Rai, Jack Thornell, and Jarvis Rockwell

Hyperallergic's weekly 'In Memoriam' column honors eight recently deceased figures from the art world, including Indian photojournalist Raghu Rai (1942–2026), Argentine abstract painter Ides Kihlen (1917–2026), Israeli painter and activist Yair Garbuz (1945–2026), British photographer Mark Gerson (1921–2026), Japanese art collector Kurt Gitter (1937–2026), Danish antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel (1965–2026), indigo textile artist Leigh Magar (1968–2026), and Kenyan muralist Patrick Mukabi (1967–2026). Each entry summarizes their life, career highlights, and contributions to visual art and photography.

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Shigeo Toya, 1947–2026

Japanese sculptor Shigeo Toya died of pneumonia in Tokyo on April 15, 2026, at age 78. Known for his conceptual approach, Toya spent five decades redefining sculpture beyond Western frameworks, creating works such as *Bamboo Grove II* (1975), the *Woods* series (shown at the 1988 Venice Biennale), and the *Minimal Baroque* series. He was a professor emeritus at Musashino Art University and received Japan's Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon and the Order of the Rising Sun.