Born in Osaka, Japan in 1936, following the advent of a new post-war era, Maekawa took part in a Gutai group exhibition for the first time in 1959 (The 8th Gutai Art Exhibition). In subsequent years, he exhibited again with the group before he officially became a member in 1972. Having taken part in the art group's second phase of activities from the years of 1962 to 1972, Maekawa became one of the group's major figures along with Takesada Matsutani and Shuji Mukai. Even after the Gutai group dissolved, he persisted in his practice and expanded it overseas, spreading knowledge of his work around the world. If one mentions Maekawa, the common thought that comes to mind is, basically, 'burlap'. This medium which for so long marked the artist's practice has today become a symbol for it. Through contortion, cutting, tearing, and destruction, he found a place for burlap on the canvas, all stitched together and shaped sculpturally, with the final touch of colour to bring the whole work tightly together. The period between the 1950s and 1972 served as Maekawa's age of exploration, during which he took part in the Gutai art movement. In the early days of this first phase, his tones were natural, mainly focusing on the juxtaposition between the textiles and colours. His second phase, from the 1970s to 1980s, saw his solid burlap materials replaced by soft and thin cotton fibres. There was a greater precision in his sewing techniques, and this extended to a greater range of geometric shapes in his work. Finally, there are the recent years during which his artistic output has been sparse and his practice flows more comfortably.