1931. He exhibited from the first Dokuritsu (Independent) exhibition in 1931, receiving the Independent Prize in 1947 and becoming a member of the Independent Art Association in 1949.
After returning to Kumamoto following World War II, Sakamoto initially concentrated on still-life and representational painting. He travelled to Europe in November1957, basing himself in Paris and visiting several European countries
before returning to Japan in April 1959. He was particularly drawn to the structure of European buildings, and his paintings began to gradually move away from representation. By 1960, his direction towards abstract painting was clearly established, and his later works became characterized by simplified forms and a predominantly grey palette, earning him the name ‘Grey Painter’.
Sakamoto continued to exhibit at the Dokuritsu exhibitions and in the Japan International Art Exhibition and Contemporary Japan Art Exhibition. In 1965, he received the Kagoshima Prize at the Dokuritsu exhibition, followed by the G Prize in 1967. His Solidarity (Rentai; 1967), exhibited at the 9th Japan International Art Exhibition in 1968, was purchased by the Ministry of Education and subsequently entered the collection of the National Museum of Modern
Art, Tokyo. From 1975, Sakamoto also produced lithographs, publishing several portfolios and exhibiting
internationally.
Works by Sakamoto are held in the collections of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the Sakamoto Zenzo Museum of Art, Kumamoto; the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art; the Kumamoto City Museum of Contemporary Art; and the Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum.
