Masaaki Yamada born in 1930. Studying under Hasegawa Saburo in the early period of his career, he painted still life that captured the only existing things. Starting his career from still life. Represented existence in three dimensions by capturing the only existing things. However, from around 1956, focused his consciousness on canvas as a thing, lines on the canvas, surfaces, colors, and flatness and its extensity that are basic reality. As his consciousness to flatness of paintings increased. He started to create stripe paintings as “work” series since 1956.

Dissolving paintings with stripes, the lines of which are surfaces, colors, parts are wholeness, he constructed painting as itself on the two dimensions as essence of painting. He shifted his style around 1965, separating white image by narrow cross patterns and created works comprised of achromatic color such as white, gray or silver. He explored another series of works using grid patterns since 1975. He changed his style of painting many times, however, his pursuit for the flatness of paintings can be found consistent.