Cultural heritage of the mural and fusuma arts from Kotohira gu Shrine that honors ancient god, Ohmono nushi no kami, and Emperor Sutoku who was enshrined in 1165 will be exhibited from July 7 – September 9 at The University Art Museum, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Epoch-making exhibition with 130 paintings by leading artists, Okyo, Jakuchu, and Gantai, in the late part of Edo Period will recreate magnificent space of traditional Japanese style.
Maruyama Okyo (1733-1795), a leading painter from Kyoto Group in the late 18th century left a master piece, “A Drawing of Playful Tigers.” Okyo believed that drawing from nature rather than the masters is the principle of fine art and often sketched animals and flowers. There are eight tigers drawn on 16 fusuma, Japanese sliding doors, that separate the room in east, north, and west sides. Jakuchu Ito(1716-1800)established an unique convention through fusing extraordinary composition and the color rhythm based on realistic description from nature observation and powerful imagination.
Paintings will be exhibited at The University Art Museum, Kotohira gu Shrine, Mie Prefectural Art Museum, and Musee national des Arts asiatiques – Guimet to commemorate the 150th anniversary of friendship between France and Japan between October 15 – December 8.
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