Sessei Nakamaru and His Artist Friends

Finished

Artists

Sessei Nakamaru, Aimitsu, Kunihiko Sasaki, Miyuki Nakatani, Sahatsushi Hamasaki, Gyokuju Funada, Iri Maruki, Setsuji Wadaka

Sensei Nakamaru (1893-1968), born in Iimuro, Asa-cho, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima, studied painting while living in Osaka, Tokyo, and Kyoto. Although he gave up his career as a painter to take over the family business, he interacted with many artists throughout his life, as if he had entrusted his dream to them, and supported their activities both materially and spiritually. Some of these relationships can be seen in the works of art and letters left behind by the Nakamaru family.

When Iru Maruki, a local artist, was a boy, there was a house along his way to school where there was always a painting on an easel. Maruki was strongly inspired by the skill of the artist. "In Iimuro Village, there was Sessei Nakamaru. Nakamaru's paintings impressed and amazed me when I was in elementary school," he later recalled.

In addition to supporting artists such as Iru Maruki, Miyuki Nakatani, and Kunihiko Sasaki, who were also from Iimuro, Nakamaru was also in close contact with painters from nearby Hiroshima City, Chiyoda Town (now Kitahiroshima Town), and Mukohara Town (now Aki Takata City) in the prefecture. Aimitsu, who holds an important place in the history of Japanese art, as well as Japanese painters such as Gyokuju Funada, Sahatsushi Hamasaki, and Setsuji Wadaka, were all close friends of Nakamaru.

This exhibition will showcase the few remaining paintings, manuscripts, and documents of Sessei Nakamaru, as well as the works and letters of his friends, to introduce his achievements in supporting the promotion of art in Hiroshima.

[Event]
Special Talk: “Sessei Nakamaru and Iru Maruki
Lecturer: Yukinobu Okamura (Curator, Maruki Museum of Art)
Date: Sunday, May 14, from 14:00
Venue: Izumi Art Museum Exhibition Room
Please check the official website for event details and how to register.

Schedule

Apr 22 (Sat) 2023-Jun 11 (Sun) 2023