REVIEW: Exhibition 'Kaii Higashiyama' PART 3(final)

PREVIOUS: REVIEW: Exhibition 'Kaii Higashiyama' PART 2

    "Ever since 'awakening to the secret of landscape' after the war, Kaii had come to a resolution and began working without any bewilderment. Work went well, his reputation grew, one after another large-scale individual exhibition was put on, books on his paintings and writings were published, and was asked to give lectures and exhibitions at art galleries. Despite being so busy, Kaii was a perfectionist who paid attention to a single speck of dirt on the picture. He was also concerned about public opinion so that his mind was constantly tense with not a momentous of rest. In those days, after a frantically busy day on the go, on his way home, he would stop by at Shoko Kawasaki's house to take a bath and enjoy a meal cooked by Shoko's wife. Relaxing for a short time there may have been the only chance he had to stretch his arms and legs and feel at rest. However, he became all the more conscious of the conflict of leading his life as an artist while being involved with the society. His worries about overcoming this grew. It was at such a time that he was approached about producing the fusuma panels for Toshodaiji. This was his greatest luck. From then on, for ten years, he turned down all other commissions and devoted himself to these fusuma panels for the temple. He continued his work concentrating on the sole point that he wished to express his gratitude to Ganjin, the priest from Tang period China who came to Japan undaunted by several unsuccessful voyages over the years to convey genuine Buddhist disciplines. This was also the period during which both Kaii's spiritual and physical vitality were replete. As an artist, he could not have been luckier." —Suzuhiko Kawasaki 川崎鈴彦 (Nihonga painter, Kaii's brother-in-law), translated by Kikuko Ogawa 小川紀久子, from the catalogue of the exhibition

REVIEW: Exhibition 'Kaii Higashiyama' PART 2

Afterglow

Afterglow 残照 1947, colour on paper, 151.5 x 212.0 cm, framed. The artist 東山魁夷 finished this picture two years after he was called up and joined the army and trained to dash himself at the enemy's tank holding a bomb. The picture has a simple but exquisite composition, subtle and intricate colours created by multi-layered pigments. It took me a while to escape from the gravity of the picture. And so Section II: Conversation with Nature begins.

Nihonga in the Time of the Anti-Nationalism after WWII

    "Once the war came to an end, as a reaction to the extreme nationalism before the war, a trend to negate traditional culture arose. This surge advanced on the world of nihonga, too and there were even cries that nihonga would cease to exist. Amidst such circumstances, many artists made a variety of attempts, but Kaii Higashiyama was rather cautious. He did not react to radical opinions and new theories of painting unless he himself was convinced. He was more interested in and keen about what was fresh amidst the flow of time. He was probably the sort of person who wanted to probe thoroughly into what the society was really calling for." ––Masaaki Ozaki 尾崎正明, translated by Kikuko Ogawa 小川紀久子, from the catalogue of the exhibition

Autumn Shade

Autumn Shade 秋翳 1958, 160.0 x 167.6 cm, colour on paper, framed. This is my most favourite piece from the period of the establishment of Higashiyama style. At around this period, Higashiyama appears to have started experiments with textures. Jikuso 軸装, or Hanging Scroll/Handscroll, was the traditional way of displaying pictures in Japan, then Frame allowed Japanese-style painting to try the thick coats of pigment. It can be said that the examples by the outstanding artist are quite beneficial materials. Toward the next, Section III: The atmosphere of the Ancient Cities.

REVIEW: Exhibition 'Kaii Higashiyama: Nature, Men and Towns'

"I left home shortly after noon, but now it is 15:58, on the taxi, hoping to arrive there as soon as possible. The museum will close at 17:00. Probably approximately only 50 minutes left. What can I do now?" 

What I can do now is to praise the artist.


My Visit / Outline of the Exhibition

As I said before, I was looking forward to the exhibition a lot and had prepared an advance ticket — a two-times ticket for the two-terms exhibition — and attended twice. For some reasons, I visited the museum in the late afternoon of the final day of each term. It was a close shave. I almost missed them both actually.


The exhibition was held in the feature-exhibition gallery at the third floor(the second floor in English) of the Kyūshū National Museum 九州国立博物館 last summer in the midst of the Heisei-period major repair of Mieidō 御影堂 of Tōshōdai-ji 唐招提寺. They took the opportunity to have his largest painting work that was dedicated to the temple as a special feature exhibit.

It was the most splendid, spiritual, satisfying exhibition that I've ever seen, because of the power of the artist 東山魁夷, in the first place, of course, and also the enthusiastic ambitious elaborate arrangements which are based on a deep appreciation of art. Curated by Masaaki Ozaki 尾崎正明. I loved it, including the comments on paintings, and the pictorial catalogue. The book was excellent, full of properly photographed and printed his artworks. I have considered finishing this post only by saying "Just read the book". However, this is my blog, and that's nothing adventurous. Then, shall we have a close look at the exhibition and his life?


Into the Gallery

"Huge", that was my first impression. Section I: Seeking the Way (The Prewar Period); soon after the entrance into the gallery, the large canvases had a great impact. His early works were not yet sophisticated but quite energetic, and indicated young painter's ambitions. In fact, his painting works were all bigger than I thought. His tendency toward abstraction left cute impressions on the canvases, and small copies on books or the internet don't tell us about the size, details, matière, texture. They reminded me of the Aura of a work of art right after I ended the first season of this blogging adventure. In this Information Age, I am interested in something that cannot be reproduced. Life is Time. Experience cannot be reproduced and is made with Time. Higashiyama's artworks are truly worth experiencing. From his early works to the last, the retrospective exhibition traces the path that the artist had taken in chronological order except the works for Tōshōdai-ji temple.


His Early Years

Kaii Higashiyama was born in Yokohama in 1908 (Meiji 41). Since near the end of Edo — the abolition of "Sakoku" the National Isolation (1854), the change of the political system, modernisation and westernisation, wars — around this time, Japan was in turbulent times, and the successive dynamic changes of this country lasted actually until the 1990s.

Kaii Higashiyama, Nature, Me and Others

A feature exhibition at Kyushu National Museum 九州国立博物館; 'Kaii Higashiyama: Nature, Men and Towns 東山魁夷 自然と人、そして町'


Exhibition / Artist

This is a large-scale exhibition and, consequently, divided into two periods. The former exhibition; 16 July - 7 August / the latter exhibition; 9 August - 28 August. I am interested in the both of exhibitions and have purchased a two-times ticket, intend to visit twice after I finished this blogging journey and had a cup of tea. It's already 6th August, wow, it appears this weekend is the last chance.

Kaii Higashiyama(1908 - 1999), a prominent Japanese artist, lived through Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, Heisei periods, and his last work was finished in 1999, the year the 90-year-old artist died. His view of nature and painting skills are outstanding. His works feel poetic, that's why I like them.

REVIEW: The Tale of Genji

You have slept with thousand people? Cool. I am sleeping with people of recent thousand years. --Yeah?

Okay, I have finished exchanging "That's not too bad" facial expressions with some of you, now then shall we dive into the Heian period?

'The Tale of Genji 源氏物語' is a classic work of Japanese literature, written by the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, around the peak of the Heian period. 

If you ask modern Japanese people about Heian literature, they will mention this work. Because it is so important, some call it the world's first novel, everybody learns it at school. And also because it is a masterpiece, its story is thrilling and sensational.