Kazuo Shiraga was born in Hyogo, Japan in 1924 and graduated from the Kyoto Municipal Special School of Painting in 1948. He once acted as a part of “zero society” before joining the Gutai Group, consequently becoming one of the leading members in the movement. His gestural style was influenced by American Abstract Expressionism and is indicative of his participation in the avant-garde Gutai Group. Shiraga developed a format that combined painting with performance and used his own body as a physical means towards artistic creation. He also acquired a Buddhist priesthood at Enryakuji-Temple in Mount Hiei (where he received his Buddhist name, Sodo Shiraga). 

In Autumn, Shiraga’s bodily movements leave a thick trail of paint on the canvas, creating a work that is both dynamic and full of energy.