[Art Tour] Ishizaki Koyo Exhibition at The Museum of Kyoto

Good evening, this is Yucka.
I usually write about interpreting new and full moons in Western astrology for study and record-keeping, but I also love visiting art museums!

The other day, the weather was nice, so I went to Kyoto.
My goal was the 140th Anniversary of the Birth of Ishizaki Koyo at The Museum of Kyoto.

I found it while checking exhibition schedules, and since the poster caught my eye,
I decided I absolutely had to see this exhibition this autumn!

He was a mountaineer who loved the mountains.
It seems he even climbed the Himalayas during his trip to India.

He led 30 local people, ventured deep into Kashmir,
and became the first Japanese mountaineer to reach the summit of Mount Mahadeum at an altitude of 3,966 meters.
(Quoted from the exhibition description)

I'm not well-versed in mountaineering, but that's some serious climbing...!
His communication skills are also amazing...!

His interest in plants and birds is also reflected in his realistic brushwork.

In his early work, his brushwork was delicate, painting every single petal and leaf.
His use of color is very sharp and well-defined.
The way he uses gradients feels quite pop.

I didn't see much boldness in his early days... (I felt potential in the tree trunks).
The green peacock folding screen painting you encounter early on 🦚

This is the painting used on the exhibition poster.
It was more vibrant than I imagined.
Boldness, in full bloom.

Personally, it started to look like an animated feature film to me.
It wouldn't feel out of place if it were moving.
Like Osamu Tezuka's Buddha or Phoenix (cel animation), where eternal time flows.
It's like a world between this world and the heavens.

The painting of the red and green squall next to it
made me feel as if I, the viewer, had suddenly been caught in a squall.

It is said that this piece influenced the young Japanese painter Shoko Uemura.

A leap of imagination.
He also made copies of the works of Ito Jakuchu, who had been forgotten,
which apparently led to Jakuchu being re-evaluated in later years.

Even with Jakuchu's influence, his exploding personality and boldness
combined with the way he summarized his subjects in a delicate and elegant manner was a wonderful contrast.

How interesting!
I'm happy to have made a new discovery.


The exhibition runs until Sunday, November 10th!

Yucka⚚