Toru Sugita was born in Shiga Prefecture, Japan in September of 1964. He graduated with a Bachelor of Art Education at Kyoto University of Education in March of 1987. Between April 1989 and March 1990, Mr. Sugita was a research student at Kyoto Seika University within the printmaking department. In 2003, he received his Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from San Francisco State University.

Mr. Sugita began travelling extensively in May 1990. He travelled the United States and Latin America from that time until November of 1991. Later, from May 1993 to March 1994, he explored the Middle East and West Asia. His work is inspired and directly influenced by light and shadow and the temporary shapes that are created by them. He focuses mostly on etching and aquatint in black and white but has worked thoroughly in painting, screenprint, wood engraving, and color reduction woodcut, as well as color aquatint.

Sugita has exhibited extensively since 1987, taught and assisted in teaching since 1989, and has been part of numerous publications including the award winning Floating Lanterns and Golden Shrines, for which he was the illustrator.  He is currently a Professor at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, where he teaches printmaking and drawing.

A full list of Toru Sugita's achievements can be found here: http://torusugita.net/biography/biography.html