Insho Domoto(1891-1975) first won a prize at The Japanese Art Academy Exhibition (Teiten) in 1919. Since then, over nearly 60 years of his art practice, he had always kept on trying to achieve cutting-edge expression going beyond the limitation of Nihonga (Japanese-style painting).
Insho depicted a variety of motifs through his life, such as landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, and Shinto and Buddhist deities. Especially since mid 1950’s, he exhibited avand-garde abstract paintings one after another at home and overseas. Such abstract Nihonga by a Japanese artist had never before been seen in Japan, which let him make a significant mark on the Japanese art world.
The current exhibition specially presents Fusuma Paintings from Chikurin-ji Temple, Kochi, at our museum for the first time in 14 years.
These dynamic Fusuma Paintings by perfect abstract expression are an epoc-making art work in the history of Japanese Shohekiga (partition and wall paintings). In addition, we present his most representative works from our collection, which show you Insho’s impressive technique of a virtuoso painter.