Unearthing and Reinterpreting Local Art: A Selection of Works from the Ota City Collection

Ota City Magome Art Gallery will open on February 1, 2026.
Our museum was established as a base for storing and exhibiting artworks owned by the ward. By highlighting the region's cultural resources through exhibitions and educational outreach programs, we aim to foster understanding and attachment to our hometown and contribute to the enrichment of the lives of each and every resident. Minami-Magome, where our museum is located, was once known as "Magome Writers' Village," and from the late Taisho to early Showa eras, it was a place where many writers, critics, and painters gathered, fostering a cultural environment where they stimulated each other's creativity. With this history as a backdrop, we will continue to focus on researching and studying artists with ties to the region, as an important mission of our museum.

This exhibition, which commemorates the museum's opening, is titled "Unearthing/Reinterpreting Local Art" and will feature paintings from the museum's collection that are characteristic of Ota City, painted from the Showa to Heisei eras. Through materials related to the works and the artists, we will unearth previously unknown backgrounds and connections to these artists, and attempt to reexamine the artists' journeys and the significance of their works from a modern perspective.
Chapter 1, titled "Local Artists," focuses on artists who maintained studios or residences within the ward. This exhibition focuses on artists such as Anzai Keimei (1905-1999), who was active as a member of the Seiryusha art group under the guidance of Japanese painter Kawabata Ryushi, and Western-style painter Koshi Gentaro (1887-1978), who established his living and artistic space in Denenchofu. Tracing the footsteps of artists who continued to create while deeply entwined with the local community, the exhibition uncovers the multilayered history of Ota Ward. Chapter 2, "Local Landscapes," showcases the towns and landscapes of Ota Ward captured by artists, including Nakata Yoshie's "Magome Landscape" (1972) and Nishida Tōjirō's "Kugahara Residential Area" (1997). We hope that visitors will enjoy a glimpse of the art that has been nurtured in this area and new encounters with painting.

Gallery talk

The curator will give an explanation of the exhibits (approximately 30 minutes).

Tsuneko Kumagai Exhibition Corner

On the second floor of the museum, there is also a permanent exhibition corner related to modern kana calligrapher Kumagai Tsuneko. Please take a look at it as well.

"The World of Kumagai Tsuneko, Part I: The Iroha Book"
Period: February 1st (Sun) - June 28th (Sun) Closed on the same days as Magome Art Gallery

April 2026 (Sun) to May 2 (Sun) 1

Schedule	9:00 - 16:30 (Last entry at 16:00)
Venue	Magome Art Gallery
Genre	Exhibitions / Events

Leaflet PDF