Ryonosuke Shimomura: An eclectic rule breaker
At school, Ryonosuke Shimomura conceived art techniques that led one teacher to think he was color blind. Yet his unusual approach led him to become a principal of the Pan Real Art Association — Japan's influential avant-garde Japanese-style painting groups.
The Osakan artists who bucked the system
Osakan paintings have conventionally emphasized regional traits of humor, boisterousness and fun. "Do You Know Osaka Painting Circles" at the Shokado Garden Art Museum, however, reminds viewers of its farther flung painting traditions.
First, there was Matsumura Goshun
The recent focus on the vibrant idiosyncratic works of the Edo Period (1603-1868) eccentric painters has left the achievements more traditional masters in neglect. "Road to Shijo School" at the Otani Memorial Art Museum, Nishinomiya City, is a welcome reparative.
Masaya Nakayama: Keeping an eye on the art of subtraction
Finding artistic freedom in New York, Osaka-born artist finds new expressions for Japanese-style painting.
Tanaka Isson: Better late than never
Limited success in Tokyo led Tanaka Isson (1908-77) to burn his sketchbooks, sell his house, and move to Oshima, where he lived in near poverty painting in a vibrant style that posthumously captured the nation's heart.
Yokoyama Taikan: Driven by loyalty
Yokoyama Taikan (1868-1958) is inarguably the definitive artist in creating pictorial and organizational frameworks inaugurating and furthering modern nihonga (Japanese painting.
When art met craft in Meiji Era Japan
The focus of "The 150th Anniversary of the Meiji Period: Making and Designing Meiji Arts and Crafts" at The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, concerns the relationship between nihonga (Japanese-style) painters of Kyoto and craft production during a time when craft and design ...
Motonobu: The father of Kano styles
A family-run enterprise, the Kano school of painting was a consistent force in Japan's art world for more than 300 years, from the Muromachi Period (1336-1573) up until its fortune waned in the 19th century. "Celebrating a Decade in Roppongi, Kano Motonobu: All Under ...
Straddling East and West in art
Hybridity and eclecticism may be key concepts in much contemporary art, yet they are not new phenomena. In the Taisho Era (1912-1926), Tetsugoro Yorozu virtually personified the idea of hybrid art: As Japan rushed toward modernization, he not only experimented with the very latest ...
'Kuniyoshi & Kunisada: From the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston'
Ukiyo-e prints were once the equivalent of today's TV shows and magazines. During the Edo Period (1603- 1868), they often illustrated kabuki theater stars and portrayed the latest fashion trends, even at times serving as cosmetics catalogs or tourist guidebooks.
'Tomioka Tessai Retrospective'
March 12-May 8 Described as the last artist to paint bunjinga (literati painting, influenced by traditional Chinese culture) and as one of the first to pursue nihonga (Japanese style painting), Tessai Tomioka (1836-1924) left behind many masterpieces. These include shinkei-zu paintings of scenery that he ...
'The Entire Okada Collection of Rimpa: Hakone Joins the Rimpa 400 Year Celebration'
Sept. 5-March 31 Hakone, which is known for its landscapes of lakes, mountains and hot springs will join in the celebration of the 400th anniversary of Rimpa, one of the major schools of Japanese painting that excelled at depicting landscapes and nature. The Rimpa style is ...
