Morio Shinoda (Japanese, b. 1931), "Untitled", steel, wire and mixed media construction from "Tension and Composition" series, h. 18-3/4", w. 17-1/4", d. 17-1/2". Provenance: Kiko Galleries, Houston, Texas; Estate of Carolyn G. Fay, Houston, Texas; together with the original receipt from Kiko Galleries, Houston, Texas. Mario Shinoda received his initial training in his native Japan before briefly studying with the American architect, designer and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983). Deftly combining various aspects of both Eastern and Western culture, Shinoda creates carefully composed metal and wire constructions which explore the concept of gravity and - especially - the interplay of tension and compression. The resultant works are elegant and precise. He represented Japan at the 1966 Venice Biennale, was the recipient of the 2000 International Sculpture Center's Outstanding Sculpture Educator Award, and has exhibited widely, including at the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Guggenheim, New York.