Autumnal Leaves|Sakakibara Shiho
Summer Exhibition, 2018 CLOSED
100th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Association for the Creation of New Japanese-Style Painting (Kokuga Sosaku Kyokai)
Sakakibara Shiho and His Associates on Kokuten
June 1 (Fri) – August 30 (Thu), 2018
The Association for the Creation of New Japanese-style Painting (Kokuga Sosaku Kyokai), known as Kokuten, was established in 1918 by young and energetic painters in Kyoto, including Tsuchida Bakusen, Sakakibara Shiho, Murakami Kagaku, and Ono Chikkyo. Although they were greatly motivated and had painted works for Bunten (Ministry of Education Fine Arts Exhibition), their works were not appreciated at the time. Having doubts about its exclusive judgment, they pursued a more free-style production and publication, and established an original art organization, Kokuten. Their unique, innovative works were published there, which gave a large stimulus to the Japanese art world at that time. Kokuten was dissolved in 1928 for several reasons, including financial matters. The spirit, however, which focused on freedom in art production, still flows from their works.
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Association, this exhibition will mainly display works by Sakakibara Shiho, a flower-and-bird painter, as well as those by other key painters, including Bakusen, Kagaku, Chikkyo, and Irie Hako, who became a Kokuten member after the first exhibition. We will introduce those works along with the association’s history, from before its establishment to after its dissolution. We hope you will enjoy various works by painters who worked on the innovation of Japanese painting.
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Association, this exhibition will mainly display works by Sakakibara Shiho, a flower-and-bird painter, as well as those by other key painters, including Bakusen, Kagaku, Chikkyo, and Irie Hako, who became a Kokuten member after the first exhibition. We will introduce those works along with the association’s history, from before its establishment to after its dissolution. We hope you will enjoy various works by painters who worked on the innovation of Japanese painting.
Tsuchida Bakusen
"Hibiscus Manihot"
(1932)
"Hibiscus Manihot"
(1932)
150th Year of the Meiji Restoration
Japanese Painting in a New Era
In the Meiji Period, Japan experienced a rapid revolution in establishing the framework as a modernized nation. In the art world, painters sought out forms of expression that were suitable for the new era. Celebrating the 150th year of the Meiji Restoration, this exhibition will show energetic Japanese works painted in the Meiji Period.
Hishida Shunso
"Cat and Plum Blossoms"
(1906)
"Cat and Plum Blossoms"
(1906)
150th Anniversary of His Birth
The Art of Yokoyama Taikan II
The second exhibition of the year will display Summer : Four Seasons of the Sea from the series Twenty Scenes of the Sea and Mt. Fuji, which Taikan produced to celebrate his 50-year art career and can now be said to be a compilation of Taikan’s art. In addition, we will select and display several works that indicate his warm feelings toward Japan, including Sacred Mt. Fuji in Summer depicting Mt. Fuji, a symbol of Japanese spirit.
Yokoyama Taikan
"Summer : Four Seasons of the Sea"
(1940)
"Summer : Four Seasons of the Sea"
(1940)