Sadao Hasegawa

His art is noted for strong mystical and spiritual overtones.

• Name — Sadao Hasegawa • Born — 1945 • Birthplace — Tōkai, Japan • Died — November 20, 1999 (aged 54) • Place of death — Bangkok, Thailand • Field — Erotic illustration

Hasegawa was born in 1945 in the Tōkai region of Japan. In his twenties, he traveled to India and began to take up drawing. His first solo exhibition, "Sadao Hasegawa's Alchemism: Meditation for 1973" was held in 1973 in Tokyo, Japan, and featured oil paintings, collages, and sculptures. In 1978, Hasegawa's art was published for the first time in Barazoku, a monthly magazine for gay men; he would later go on to be published in Sabu (magazine)Sabu, Samson, and Adon (magazine)Adon. Hasegawa cited Go Mishima and Tom of Finland among his influences, calling the former "a master illustrator of the male physique" in an obituary written in 1989 for Barazoku. His early works, directly inspired by Tom of Finland, reflected European art styles. Beginning in the late 1980s, Hasegawa began making regular trips to Bali and Thailand, resulting in a greater focus on Asian iconography and mythology in his art. On November 20, 1999, Hasegawa killed himself by hanging in Bangkok, Thailand. His artwork was initially disposed of by his family, though it was recovered upon their discovery of a note – alongside a portrait of Yukio Mishima painted on a stone – granting ownership of his works to Gallery Naruyama in Tokyo. Six unseen paintings were discovered among Hasegawa's estate, which were shown in "Linga", a posthumous exhibition at Gallery Naruyama in 2000. Today, Gallery Naruyama holds the majority of Hasegawa's collected works.

• Tagame, Gengoroh. Gay Erotic Art in Japan vol. 2: Transitions of Gay Fantasy in the Times, POT Publishing Co. (2006).