In turbulent times, we turn to the simple things of life with relief. But in fine art, simplicity is not easy, and it is a brave painter who spends his life depicting pots and pans, apples and pears.
Yet this is what Seiichi Kasai has done -- and he has not won this year's prestigious Seiji Togo Memorial Yasuda Kasai Museum of Art Grand Prix award just for courage. He has won it, the 24th annual award, for steadily digging beneath the surface of things with an unassuming talent.
I must admit to doubts, however. When, amid the bustle of Shinjuku Station, I first saw the exhibition poster featuring Kasai's quiet, award-winning painting, I wondered if the style was too simple to command interest for long.