Zensaku Nakamura Exhibition

Otaru City Museum of Art

Finished

Artists

Zensaku Nakamura

The Nishitani family, the Kitamae shipowners of Kaga, developed various businesses throughout Hokkaido from their base in Otaru. In their heyday, Shohachi Nishitani V and his son Shoji generously supported young artists, including Zensaku Nakamura, as patrons and introduced them to the world.

At the age of 15, Zensaku, who was opposed by his parents to becoming a painter, joined Nishitani Kaiun KK (Nishitani Kaisoten at that time), and while working at the company, he devoted his evenings to training in painting at the Otaru Western-style painting institute. The Nishitani family fully supported Zensaku's debut in the art world and allowed him to concentrate on his work at the Nishitani family's villa until he was selected for the Nika-ten exhibition, for which he painted portraits of their wives.

Now, Hiroyasu Takano, a visiting researcher at the Otaru University of Commerce, has discovered that the ornaments of the Nishitani women have been carefully preserved by their bereaved family, Teiko Sano. Sadako Sano is the granddaughter of Masako Nishitani, daughter of Shohachi and Kazuki Nishitani, the fifth generation of Kitamae shipowners.

In 1917, Masako Nishitani adopted her brother Shoji's junior at Waseda University, Susumu Nishikawa, as her son-in-law, and started a new life in Kobe with her husband who became an employee of Nishitani Kaiun KK. At the same time, the wedding of Masako's cousin Teiji Nishide (12th generation Magozaemon Nishide) was held in Hashidate. At that time, Masako suggested that a "crystal hair ornament" be specially ordered, and the women of the family liked it so much that they ordered the same ornament for their hair.

In 1920, the Nishitani family suffered a tragedy when Masako contracted the Spanish flu and died 15 days after giving birth to her second child. Zensaku Nakamura, who was 19 years old and working at the Kobe Branch at the time, also encountered the Spanish flu pandemic, and the death of Masako, who was the same age as Nakamura, and the orphaned child of Masako, who was in doubt about whether to live or die, were deeply etched in his mind.

In 1941, Shohachi Nishitani and his wife had already passed away, but Masako's eldest daughter, Akiko, grew up safely and celebrated her wedding day at the age of 22. To celebrate their new beginning, Zensaku gave Akiko the oil painting "Izumihama Shiofuki" and Akiko told her family that Zensaku was "a painter of peace."

This exhibition introduces the interaction between Nakamura Zensaku and the Nishitani family, owners of the Kitamae Line, during the Taisho era (1912-1926). Paintings, sculptures, letters, and photo panels by artists supported by the Nishitani family, such as Nakamura Zensaku and Nakano Goichi, will also be on display.

In the second-floor exhibition room, Zensaku Nakamura's large oil paintings of Otaru and Shinshu will be on display to reflect on the appeal of his bright and lively landscapes.

Schedule

Oct 21 (Sat) 2023-Dec 28 (Thu) 2023