Exhibition/event has ended.
Morikazu Kumagai “The Joy of Life”
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Finished
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Artists
Morikazu Kumagai
Kumagai Morikazu (1880-1977) is widely recognized for a style that is distinguished by bright colors and distinct forms. His later works, depicting familiar living things like flowers, insects, and birds, are especially loved by people of all ages. At first sight, these works look humorous and seem to have been created with great ease. But in tracing back Kumagai’s over 70-year career, it becomes clear that he actually experimented with many different approaches, making paintings to see how things could be seen in the dark and developing a process to use the same design in multiple works. The reason Kumagai’s flowers and birds have such a lifelike appearance is due to the artist’s ingenuous means of dealing with color and form. Concealed within his works are an observational ability akin to that of a scientist and an elaborate production method.
This retrospective, the first to be held in Tokyo in many years, sheds light on the artist’s creative process with more than 200 paintings, sketches, diaries, and documents. During his long 97-year life, which began in the Meiji Period and continued late into the Showa Period, Kumagai experienced a variety of hardships including poverty and deaths in the family. Yet he single-mindedly devoted himself to his work and, even at the age of 95, said, “I hope to live forever.”
[Event]
Isao Takahata Animation Screening
Date: Feb. 24 (Sat) 14:00–15:30
Tickets passed out from 10:00 on first-come basis.
In Japanese. Please see the official website for details and information on more events.
This retrospective, the first to be held in Tokyo in many years, sheds light on the artist’s creative process with more than 200 paintings, sketches, diaries, and documents. During his long 97-year life, which began in the Meiji Period and continued late into the Showa Period, Kumagai experienced a variety of hardships including poverty and deaths in the family. Yet he single-mindedly devoted himself to his work and, even at the age of 95, said, “I hope to live forever.”
[Event]
Isao Takahata Animation Screening
Date: Feb. 24 (Sat) 14:00–15:30
Tickets passed out from 10:00 on first-come basis.
In Japanese. Please see the official website for details and information on more events.
Schedule | Dec 1 (Fri) 2017-Mar 21 (Wed) 2018 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Adults ¥1400; University ¥900; High School Students ¥400; Junior High School Students & Younger, Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion Free. | ||||||
| Venue | The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo http://www.momat.go.jp/english  | ||||||
| Location | 3-1 Kitanomaru Koen, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8322 | ||||||
| Access | 3 minute walk from exit 1b at Takebashi Station on the Tozai line. 5 minute walk from exit 4 at Kudanshita Station on the Hanzomon and Tozai lines or Toei Shinjuku line. 15 minute walk from exit A1 at Jimbocho Station on the Toei Shinjuku and Mita lines or Hanzomon line. | ||||||
| Phone | 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial) | ||||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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