'Demokrato Artists from Kansai: Izumi Shigeru, Yamanaka Yoshikazu, Yoshida Toshitsugu and Yoshihara Hideo'

July 3- Sept. 17

In 1951, Ei-Q (1911-60), an artist, photographer and printmaker, established the Democratic Artists Association, an avant-garde group that focused on producing art based on artistic freedom. Based in three locations — Tokyo, Osaka and Miyazaki — the group originally comprised 10 artists and included painters, designers, photographers, dancers and critics. It was short-lived, however, eventually disbanding in 1957.

Focusing on prints, this exhibition features four Democratic Artists Association artists: Shigeru Izumi, Yoshikazu Yamanaka, Toshiji Yoshida and Hideo Yoshihara. Also on display are 130 donations from the Izumi family, which are being publicly shown for the first time.

BB Plaza Museum of Art; BB Plaza 2F, 4-2-7 Iwaya Nakamachi, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo. Iwaya Stn. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ¥400. Closed Mon. 078-802-9286; www.bbpmuseum.jp