resized, and rearranged objects by painting them photorealistically onto his large canvases. The Sea, Koga's most famous work, first appeared at the 16th Nika Exhibition in 1929. It contains various motifs which he had copied from magazines and postcards, including a large image of the American film actress Gloria Swanson. Other notable works in this style include Makeup through the Window (1930), and Intellectual Expression Crossing the Reality Line (1931), which included an image of the mechanical robot Eric, which had been exhibited in London in 1928. Koga continued to develop artworks in this style until his death in 1933. Illness and death In 1929, Koga became ill and blamed it on the strain caused by participating in a major exhibition. More periods of illness followed and his condition was later diagnosed as syphilis. This, together with being a heavy smoker, eventually caused a tremor that affected his work. During this period, he also became friends with Yasunari Kawabata, who lived nearby, as they apparently shared an interest in dogs. As his disease progressed, he began to suffer from severe neuralgia and started behaving strangely. By early 1933, he required hospitalization and, despite various intense treatments (including malaria therapy), died later that year. Koga was described by friends and family throughout his lifetime as a sickly individual. Following his death, Koga’s acquaintance Nakano Kaichi, who was a doctor, chronicled his symptoms and conducted a psychiatric evaluation. Nakano felt that Koga’s symptoms were characteristic of a schizoid personality, particularly given his preference for solitude and occasional episodes of paranoia. Selected paintings References Further reading 1933 deaths 1895 births Japanese surrealist artists 20th-century Japanese painters 20th-century Japanese artists Modern artists People from Kurume Surrealist artists Japanese painters