Q Ei, whose early work was done under his real name of Hideo Sugita, was born in Miyazaki Prefecture in 1911. At age 15, his criticism started appearing in the art magazines "Atelier" and "Mizue". Q Ei’s first collection of photo-dessins, was published in 1936 as "The Reason for Sleep" (Nemuri No Riyu). In 1937, he set up the art organization "Free Art Association" (Jiyu Bijutsu Kyokai). As to criticize the established public group and Japan art world, he set up "Democratic Artists Association" in 1951.


Q Ei had great influence among the young Japanese artists at that time such as Ay-O, Masuo IKEDA, Yukihisa ISOBE, On KAWARA, and Eikoh HOSOE. He challenged various medium such as oil paintings, photo-dessins, prints, and created a unique world of art. He died in 1960 at the age of 48.


"Ei-Q photo-dessins" (瑛九フォト・デッサン). 1936.[7]
"Ei-Q photo-dessins" (瑛九フォト・デッサン). 1951.[7]
"Dai ikkai Tōkyō kokusai hanga biennāre-ten" (第1回東京国際版画ビエンナーレ展, i.e. the first Tokyo international biennale of wood engravings). 1957.[7]
"Ei-Q kaiko-ten" (瑛九回顧展). 1970.[7]
"Modanizumu no kōseki: Onchi Kōshirō, Ei-Q" (モダニズムの光跡: 恩地孝四郎・椎原治・瑛九) / "Traces of Light in Modernism: Koshiro Onchi, Osamu Shiihara and Ei-Kyu". National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, February–March 1997. The work of Kōshirō Onchi, Osamu Shiihara, and Ei-Q.[8]
"Demokurāto 1951–1957: Kaihō sareta sengo bijutsu" (デモクラート1951-1957 開放された戦後美術). Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, August–October 1999.[9]
"Ei-Q no himitsu-ten: Āto ni deau natsu" (瑛九のヒミツ展 アートにであう夏) vol. 2. Fukuoka Art Museum (Fukuoka), July–August 2000.[10]
"Ei-Q, Ay-O, Ikeda Masuo" (瑛久　靉嘔　池田満寿夫) Sayama Shiritsu Hakubutsukan (Sayama), October–December 2000. An exhibition of Ei-Q, Ay-O and Masuo Ikeda.[11]
"Urawa gaka to sono jidai: Terauchi Manjirō, Ei-Q, Takada Makoto o chūshin ni" (浦和画家とその時代 寺内万治郎・瑛九・高田誠). Urawa Art Museum (Urawa), 2000. (in Japanese)　Catalogue of the opening exhibition of the museum, on the painters of Urawa, and particularly Manjirō Terauchi, Ei-Q, and Makoto Takada.[12]
"Ei-Q foto-dessan-ten" (瑛九フォト・デッサン展) / "Ei-Q Photo Dessin". National Museum of Art, Osaka (Suita), October–December 2005.[13]
"Ei-Q-ten" (瑛九展). Kawagoe Gallery, February 2006.[14]
"Ei-Q to sono shūhen" (瑛九とその周辺). Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts (Machida), June–September 2008.[15]
"Ei-Q-ten" (瑛九展). Kawagoe Gallery, September 2008.[16]