This is the special winter exhibition of Kyujin Yamamoto’s works, newly begun in 2023. In this, the second exhibition, masterpieces of his middle and later periods from the museum's collection of 170 pieces are displayed. Exhibited from his mid-period are refined works depicting sea and mountains-including the powerful Mangetsuyo (Full-Moon Night) and Kisetsufu (Monsoon)-that constitute his representative landscape painting. Later works of grace and poetry evoke imaginative floral landscapes, as seen in such signature work as Chijo Fuin (Earthly Elegance). Some 50 works are presented in two parts.
Note: February 10th, the anniversary of Yamamoto’s passing, will be a free-admission day.

Kyujin Yamamoto 1900–1986
Born in Tokyo’s Shitaya area, Kyujin Yamamoto passed away in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating Tokyo School of Fine Arts, the young artist enters Konohanasha painting circle hosted by Eikyu Matsuoka. While submitting works to Teiten and Bunten exhibitions, he submits works to Rusoga-sha, which he formed with Eikyu Matsuoka disciples like Yasushi Sugiyama. In 1948, he threw a stone into what had been until then the feudalistic glass wall of the Japanese art world, forming Sozo Bijutsu (predecessor of the current Soga-kai) with Shoko Uemura, Kenji Yoshioka, et al. Yamamoto was active as its central member throughout his life, and led the postwar reform movement of Japanese painting. His perspective in the early years evoked a clear, modern Yamato-e style, but after the war, Yamamoto developed a sturdy style shaped by a contemporary sense of form. Later in his oeuvre, he painted emotional landscapes achieving a rich lyricism with gentle brush strokes. Awarded Order of Cultural Merit in 1977.

We showcase a sliding-door painting for the Tenpyozan Zendo Kyakuden, a Zen practice center in the U.S., which artist Tamotsu Yoshida (Shuo) completed over three and a half years. Using various pines of Izu as a motif, this 22-meter-long, 16-panel sliding-door painting depicts an eternally changeless state of being, including a dragon god and the sun-the artist’s lifetime masterpiece. This is a rare opportunity to view the painting before its dedication to the Zendo. Also on exhibition will be representative Yoshida works from our Narukawa Art Museum Collection.

Tamotsu Yoshida (under the alias of Shuo) 1947~
Born in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduates in Nihonga, Musashino Art University. Studies under Kazuo Kakurai. After graduation, he appears in the Nitten Exhibition, winning numerous awards including the Nitten Tokusen Prize and the Nisshunten (Spring Nitten Exhibition) Incentive Award in 1987, and the Nisshun Award in 1989. He leaves Nitten circle in 1998 and remains unaffiliated with any circle since then. His works have been exhibited at the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Contemporary Art Selection Exhibition and the Yamatane Museum of Art Award Exhibition. In 2006, his paintings were added to the collection of Koyasan Ryusen-in temple.
In 2014, a dedication exhibition was held for Shoryu-zu (Pines and Dragon), on tour to Takashimaya Department Store and Yokosuka Art Museum. This masterpiece sliding-door painting was commissioned for the Tenpyozan Zendo Toshitsu Kyakuden of the Soto Zen sect in San Francisco.
Yoshida not only delicately expresses various forms of life, typically evoked with keen sensitivity, but also is known for a profound style that resonates with the breath of the natural world.

This signature exhibition from our Narukawa Art Museum collection features a selection of representative works focusing on seasonal flowers plus ancient capitals of China. Exhibited master artists include Kohei Morita, Fumiko Hori, Kazuo Kakurai, Takehiko Mori, Matazo Kayama, Susumu Maki, Toshio Tabuchi, Reiji Hiramatsu, Tamotsu Yoshida, Toshihiko Maemoto, Takeshi Ushio, and others.