Leonard Fujita Exhibition

Sogo Museum of Art

Finished

Artists

Leonard Fujita

Four large murals by Leonard Fujita (born Tsuguharu Fujita, 1886-1968), each measuring 3 meters long by 3 meters wide, were discovered in a warehouse near Orly Airport, France, in 1992. Depicted on those square planes were groups of human figures entwined with each other. After a 6 year restoration process, glossy ivory-like surfaces were restored to the works, creating a sensation upon their first appearance in Japan last year.

After graduating from Tokyo Art School (now Tokyo University of the Arts), Fujita relocated to France and became acknowledged as a painter of "unparalleled milky-white surfaces" by the 1920s, thrust into the spotlight within the Paris art world. After he came back to Japan for the second time in 1933, Fujita was commissioned to create murals for various domestic enterprises that would adorn the walls of the Brazil Coffee Museum, a special diner of the Osaka branch of Sogo, Ginza Colombin, the Institut Franco-Japonais in Kansai and more, with a number of people playing outdoors. These works took on a major significance for his later career, during which he explored extensively ways of depicting a group of figures.

In addition to the four murals, this exhibition showcases Fujita's oeuvre, including large-scale pieces he executed in Japan and handmade everyday items, which have never been exhibited in a comprehensive fashion.

Please visit the exhibition website for details on related events.

Schedule

Jun 12 (Fri) 2009-Jul 21 (Tue) 2009