n the 1960s, Kumi Sugai entered a major turning point in his artistic career with the development of the Autoroute (Motorway) series. The visual experiences and sensations of speed he encountered while driving his white Porsche Carrera on highways began to emerge in his work as highly simplified, sign-like images. Compared with UKI (1958), the tactile qualities of paint and expressive brushwork receded, while contours, colors, and compositional structures became increasingly defined, resulting in the smooth and uniform surfaces that characterize this period.During these years, Sugai explored the possibility of painting serving a public function. His focus gradually shifted from expressing his inner self toward visualizing relationships between individuals, society, and the modern city. Throughout the Autoroute series, recurring motifs include organic red forms resembling overlapping circles, undulating shapes suggestive of wind and moving air, and black lines evoking the trajectories of automobiles. These elements can also be found in the present work.
Sugai frequently traveled through Germany on his way to vacation destinations, driving along the autobahns of West Germany. Through these experiences, he was influenced by the country’s landscape as well as its sense of rationality and urban order, factors that contributed to the distinctive visual language of the Autoroute series.