From Taishō to Shōwa periods, Komuro Settei (1887-1940) had ushered in a new phase and had a strong hold on the people’s mind in various types of art, such as book design, book illustrations and theatrical art. In recent years, his artistic creations drew people’s attention again and started being re-evaluated highly.
Settei studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts under Shimomura Kanzan, and after graduation he joined Kokkasha, a publisher which specialized in Japanese and East Asian art, and engaged in replication of old paintings. In 1914 (Taishō 3), at the age of 28, Settei was in charge of the book design for Nihonbashi written by Izumi Kyōka, and afterwords, their collaboration produced numerous masterpieces. While being active as a popular book designer, Settei presented his nihonga paintings and joined the artistic circle, and also worked in a newly founded cosmetic company Shiseido’s designing division on its advertisement and product designs.
This exhibition focuses on the works of Settei, or a “genius of design,” who accepted the “iki” stylishness of Edo and embodied the modernity of Tokyo, and introduces the artistic lineages into the both directions – Suzuki Harunobu as the origin of Edo’s iki styles and Meiji’s craft works which represent modern Tokyo, such as lacquerware of Shibata Zeshin and cloisonné of Namikawa Yasuyuki, and furthermore, works of contemporary artists who inherit their spirits are also presented.