The world of the minga, "folk painting," is one of subtle beauty created by the countless unknown artists who draw on rich crafts traditions for inspiration. The end result of these unknown artists is refreshingly simple, unaffected works of art. Opportunities to view the work of these unheralded artists up close are unfortunately quite rare.
Small wonder then, that the local art community's interest has been piqued by "The World of Folk Painting: Minga no Sekai," a special exhibition of minga currently on display until Dec. 19 at the Japan Folk Crafts Museum. The exhibition, which features 238 folk paintings from Japan, Korea, China and India, provides a tantalizing overview of this oeuvre of Asian art.
Among the Japanese folk paintings in this exhibition are excellent examples of Otsu-e painting. These paintings were produced extensively in the area around Otsu in Shiga Prefecture beginning in the early 17th century, and were collected by travelers as souvenirs of their visit to the Otsu post station along the Old Tokaido road linking Kyoto with Edo (Tokyo).