Let's talk about the Japanese painter who influenced me the most

Greetings, I am Pikari Okamoto.

I would like to talk about Kaii Higashiyama, one of the painters who influenced me the most.

Do you know Kaii Higashiyama?

Kaii Higashiyama is a Japanese painter beloved for his landscape paintings.

If you didn't know him or have never seen his paintings, I have listed museums with permanent collections in the latter part of this post, so please use that as a reference and go see them!

I first encountered Kaii Higashiyama in 2016.

My encounter with Kaii

At that time, I was standing in a misty mountain.

On a summer day in 2016, I saw a special exhibition of Kaii Higashiyama held at the Kyushu National Museum in Dazaifu, Fukuoka. I'll post the introductory video and website from that time here.

All of Kaii's landscape paintings have a warm atmosphere, and they make you feel as if you are actually there, more so than photo-realistic paintings.

What moved me the most was the "Wall Paintings of the Miei-do Hall at Toshodai-ji Temple," which is considered the culmination of Kaii Higashiyama's life work. It was a precious and magnificent exhibition that recreated the wall paintings of the Miei-do Hall at Toshodai-ji Temple, an Important Cultural Property in Nara.

When I stood in front of "Mountain Clouds" (Sangun) painted on the tokonoma alcove, I felt as if I had truly stepped into a forest in the mist, and my skin was tingling.

Since it is a large painting covering the entire wall from floor to ceiling, it is natural to be overwhelmed, but the painting had the power to provide an immersion into the landscape that stimulated the viewer's tactile senses.

"Mountain Clouds" copy

Eight years have passed since then, and lately I have been spending my days searching for my own style of painting. At the end of last year, I copied "Mountain Clouds" for the first time to try and gain something from the paintings I love.

It was a painting for which I had kept a postcard on my wall for a long time, but when I copied it, I made new discoveries. I realized that the layout is surprisingly bold, with diagonal components being dominant, and that the gaze is guided by the shades of the trees and the condition of the mist. (This is just my interpretation, though.) I believe that the mountains depicted in this painting were meticulously designed to shape the viewer's experience through the artist's intentions and painterly techniques. Brilliant.

This was the story of my encounter with Kaii Higashiyama and the work that shocked me the most, 'Mountain Clouds'. Since that encounter, I have been chasing the landscape paintings of Higashiyama that can be seen all over Japan.

A journey to follow Kaii Higashiyama

The landscapes in Kaii Higashiyama's paintings are based on locations all across Japan.
Also, there are museums built in places associated with him, such as the towns where he lived, and his works are housed in various locations, so you can see them in many places.
If you look up where they are, you can go on a journey to follow Kaii Higashiyama.

Museums named after 'Kaii Higashiyama'

There are four museums that bear the name 'Kaii Higashiyama'.

1. Nagano Prefectural Art Museum, Higashiyama Kaii Gallery (Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture)

2. Kaii Higashiyama Kokoro no Tabiji-kan (Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture)

3. Kagawa Prefectural Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum (Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture)

4. Ichikawa City Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Hall (Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture)

Of these, I will briefly touch upon the 'Kagawa Prefectural Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum' and the 'Ichikawa City Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Hall' that I have visited so far.

Kagawa Prefectural Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum (Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture)

It seems the museum was established because this is the place associated with Kaii Higashiyama's grandfather.
I visited it in 2017 when I took a trip around Shikoku.
The work 'Moonlight', painted in his later years and housed here, left a particularly strong impression on me.

The location, where you can view the Great Seto Bridge from the lounge, is a landscape unique to this place.

Also, I found and read a book of Higashiyama's essays titled 'In Search of Japanese Beauty' at the museum shop here. It was the catalyst for me to learn that a painter leaving behind words can deepen one's appreciation of their work.
Because of that experience, Higashiyama's words are also a point I respect.

Ichikawa City Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Hall (Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture)

The Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Hall is located in a place accessible from Tokyo. It was built because Kaii Higashiyama lived in Ichikawa City for about half a century, from 1945 until his passing in 1999.

I remember walking there from the station, and since it is on top of a hill, I recall it being a bit of a struggle.
It is a European-style building, and the garden with its attached cafe was also charming. The exhibits change depending on the time of year, but I was happy to be able to immerse myself in the calm atmosphere.

Higashiyama Kaii is here too

There are art museums and landscapes that served as models for Higashiyama Kaii's work in and around Tokyo.

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (next to the Imperial Palace)

This museum houses many of Higashiyama Kaii's works, which can be viewed in the permanent collection. Whenever I stop by for a special exhibition, I make sure to visit the permanent collection as well, as if to pay my respects to Master Kaii.

A work titled "Afterglow" (Zansho, 1947, age 39), housed at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, won a special selection at the 3rd Nitten Exhibition, and it is said that he decided to establish himself as a landscape painter from then on. And, this painting is said to be based on the scenery from Mt. Kano in Chiba Prefecture.

"Afterglow" Mt. Kano, Chiba Prefecture

That location now has a parking lot and can be reached by car. The following photo was taken when I visited in 2020. It was a scene illuminated by the sunset just before it disappeared.

If you are interested, please try taking a trip to follow in the footsteps of Higashiyama Kaii. Finally, I would like to talk about a painting I created that was influenced by him.

With respect to "Green Echoes"

I painted a picture titled "Self-Reflection." It is a scene reflected upside down at the boundary between the trees and the pond, with a blue weasel in the foreground and a giraffe in the background, each reflecting a different figure in the pond. I chose this composition as a tribute to Higashiyama Kaii's "Green Echoes."

"Green Echoes" is one of a series of 18 works titled "Scenery with a White Horse," and it is a very popular piece. There is a picture book that uses the white horse series as a motif. The painting on the cover is "Green Echoes." (The picture book features text by picture book author Takeshi Matsumoto, based on works from the collection of the Nagano Prefectural Shinano Art Museum Higashiyama Kaii Gallery.)

This white horse was inspired by the second movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, and it is said that he painted it by replacing the relationship between the piano and the string instruments with the white horse and the landscape.

Also, the model for the pond in this painting is Mishaka Pond in Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, which is famous as a pilgrimage site. I haven't been there yet, but I would love to visit it at least once.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this far. I would like to paint landscapes that give the viewer the feeling of being there, just like Higashiyama Kaii's works do.

This time, I limited my discussion to Higashiyama Kaii. In creating my art, I am of course influenced by many other painters, as well as many works beyond painting, such as films, manga, and anime. If the opportunity arises, I would like to talk about other artists and works I love.

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