Brother of painter Toshi Shimizu, Kiyoshi Shimizu was one of Seattle’s most prominent early artists. He went to San Francisco in 1921 and then moved to New York City where he and his brother attended the Art Students League. In April, 1923 he got an apartment with his brother’s friend, George Tera. In May 1923, he had an exhibition of his work at the Art Students League. In 1923, he moved to Woodstock, New York, and in February, 1924, he shared a studio with George Tera. In May of that year, his brother, Toshi, moved to France. Kiyoshi Shimizu exhibited at the Salons of America, 1925-1929, and 1931. He also exhibited at the Society of Independent Artists in New York City in 1925-1928 and in 1931. His work is included in an exhibition Japanese & Japanese-American Painters in the United States: A Half Century of Hope and Suffering, 1895-1945. Venues included The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum and The Japanese-American National Museum 1995.