Tomoki hitomi the fugitive painter 1978 night landscape with windmill

(The buyer will receive the painting, and as a gift, will also receive the book (in digital form, translated into Greek), so you can read the remarkable adventures of his life—from the day he fled the country as a fugitive until his eventual return.)

A very beautiful and atmospheric oil painting depicting a night landscape with windmill, lake and moonlight scenery, painted by the Japanese artist Tomoki Hitomi around 1978, during the years when he was living in Greece as a fugitive. The artwork measures 58.5 × 64 cm - with wooden frame, painted in oil on canvas, with strong technique, rich colors and very detailed, almost photographic brushwork, characteristic of the works he produced during his Greek period. The painting bears the artist’s signature on the front.

The painting is in excellent condition

The life of Yasuo Hitomii ( born name) one of the most unusual stories connected with modern art. In his early years in Japan he lived a difficult life and became involved in minor crimes, spending time in correctional institutions when he was young. During that period, a former elementary school teacher who remembered him as a child visited him and gave him painting materials as a gift, which became the beginning of his involvement with art.

Later his name became connected with a group involved in the theft of ancient swords and artworks in Japan. When the authorities began arresting members of the group, he managed to leave the country together with his wife, and the two of them travelled abroad believing that after many years outside Japan the charges might expire. They travelled through Hong Kong, Vietnam during the war, France and Spain, where he met a painter of Greek origin named Antonio, who encouraged him to develop his painting seriously. During those years his name appeared in newspapers and he was internationally wanted in many countries.

Eventually he arrived in Greece, where at first he lived quietly as an unknown amateur painter. Help came unexpectedly from a Japanese woman living in Greece who was married to an American military officer. With their help he opened a small gallery inside the American air base in Elliniko, where he sold paintings to American officers and soldiers who bought them as souvenirs. His talent quickly became known and he became very popular among the Americans.

After the American base closed, he continued independently, opening his own galleries in Greece and painting constantly in his atelier. His works were admired for their strong realism and almost photographic detail, and he gradually became widely known. He held exhibitions in many parts of Greece, participated three times in the Thessaloniki International Fair, and organized personal exhibitions in important venues and hotels, including exhibitions at the Grand Hotel in Rhodes, where his shows were attended by collectors, visitors and members of high society. His work was also mentioned in newspapers of the period, something unusual for a foreign painter who had arrived in Greece as an unknown artist.

Despite his success, he was still living as a fugitive. When he learned about the death of his father in Japan, he decided he could no longer live between fame and escape. He went to the Japanese Embassy, surrendered voluntarily, and returned to Japan, where he was tried and served a prison sentence of about three and a half years. After his release he continued painting and later received several international recognitions and awards for his artistic work. He continued to paint for the rest of his life in Japan, where his story became widely known, and he passed away in 1999, leaving behind a remarkable life story that made his works especially interesting to collectors.

“His story is known from his book, “The Law of the Fugitive – 4,600 Days as the World’s Number One Internationally Wanted Man”, which he wrote while he was in prison. In its pages, he describes his extraordinary life, the dangers, escapes, and constant pursuit he faced as the number one internationally wanted man by Interpol. The book became well known in Japan, and his story was later adapted for television as a dramatic series.

The buyer will receive the painting, and as a gift, will also receive the book (in digital form, translated into Greek), so you can read the remarkable adventures of his life—from the day he fled the country as a fugitive until his eventual return.

International Recognition & Awards

• France (Art France) – Grand Special Prize by Art Critics

• New York (SOHO) – Grand Prize of World Artist

• Monaco – Cultural Festival Award (portrait of Grace Kelly)

• Cuba – Honorary distinction and appointment as honorary professor

• Argentina – Grand Prize for international cultural cooperation

• Japan – Grand Art Prize and honorary distinctions

• Posthumous title: Artist of the Century

• Artwork selected for the Millennium 2000 Champagne Collector Edition (France)