1936年大阪府生まれ。大阪市立工芸高等学校図案科を卒業後、1959年に吉原治良に師事して第8回具体美術展に初出品。1962年に具体美術協会の会員となり、同協会の第2世代を代表する作家として、1972年の解散まで毎回出品を続けた。前川の表現を象徴するのは、ドンゴロス（粗織り麻布）を裂き、ひだを寄せて着彩する技法など、平面的な絵画表現から立体に近づいた物質としての絵画表現による独自の作品群は具体の理念に最も忠実な作風であり、国内外で高く評価されている。

Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1936. After graduating from the Design Department of Osaka Municipal Technical High School, he studied under Yoshihara Jiro in 1959 and exhibited at the 8th Gutai Art Exhibition for the first time. In 1962 he became a member of the Gutai Art Association, and as a representative artist of the association's second generation, he continued to exhibit at every exhibition until the association's dissolution in 1972. Maekawa's unique works, which move away from flat painting and towards three-dimensional painting using materials such as ripping, pleating and painting dongoros (coarsely woven linen), are a style that is most faithful to the principles of Gutai and are highly acclaimed both at home and abroad.