Masterpiece exhibition "Gaze at the Source: Kawabata Ryushi's Motifs" held

Masterpiece Exhibition "A Gaze at the Source: Kawabata Ryushi's Motifs"
Date: December 2025, 12 (Sat) - April 6, 2026 (Sun)

Introduction of exhibition contents

　This exhibition focuses on the subjects depicted in the works of Japanese painter Kawabata Ryushi (1885-1966), selecting works from the perspectives of "classical motifs" and "realistic models." Ryushi, who originally started out as a Western-style painter, went on to work as an illustrator before continuing to pioneer the world of Japanese painting through self-study, and this exhibition focuses on how he depicts "classical motifs," that is, motifs that have been depicted since ancient times, and how he expresses real-life objects in his "realistic models."
　In "Yasurai" (1958), featured in this exhibition, Ryushi was inspired by Kaikei's "Kujaku Myoo" (Kamakura period, Important Cultural Property) at Mount Koya, and depicted the "Kujaku Myoo," a figure that has been depicted as mounted since the Heian period, as resting. This painting demonstrates Ryushi's unique creativity, not found in previous Buddhist paintings. In "Tiger's Room" (1947), Ryushi quotes the "Tiger Holding a Water Drink" painting from Kano Tan'yu's "Group of Tigers" (Edo period, Important Cultural Property) at Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto, with Ryushi herself depicted in front of the sliding screen. The tiger in the painting is depicted glaring warily at Ryushi, and the composition incorporates the traditional "dragon and tiger" composition, in which the "dragon" confronts the tiger.
　Through the works in this exhibition, we hope you will enjoy learning how Ryuko captures and expresses her motifs, as well as her own perspective on her subjects, including her precedents and the works of her predecessors.

〇 Chatting viewing session (interactive program)
Dates: Monday, December 22nd, Monday, January 26th, Monday, February 16th, starting at 2:00 PM each day
Cooperation: Ota Ward Social Welfare Council
Venue: Ryushi Memorial Museum Exhibition Room
Capacity: 10 people (first come, first served). Registration will close once capacity is reached.
Admission: Free
To apply: Please email the address below or call us (03-3772-0680) and let us know your participation date, name, phone number, and age.

〇 3rd Memorial Museum Lecture "Kawabata Ryushi and the Women Painters of Seiryusha"
Date and time: Saturday, October 2026, 2 21: 13-30: 15
Venue: Ota Cultural Forest Hall
Capacity: 200 people (if capacity is exceeded, a lottery will be held)
Deadline: Must arrive by Friday, March 2
Lecturer: Takuya Kimura, Chief Curator, Ota City Ryushi Memorial Museum
Click here to apply

 

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・[Press Release] Masterpiece Exhibition "A Gaze at the Source: Kawabata Ryushi's Motifs"
・[Flyer] Masterpiece Exhibition "A Gaze at the Source: Kawabata Ryushi's Motifs"
・[Liszt] Masterpiece Exhibition "A Gaze at the Source: Kawabata Ryushi's Motifs" 

Main exhibits

Paradox: The Flow of Life, 1959, Ota City Ryushi Memorial Museum Collection. *Part of the text is shown.

Exhibition information

Session	2025/12/6 (Sat) - 2026/3/8 (Sun)
Museum Hours of Operation	9: 00-16: 30 (Admission until 16:00)
Museum Holidays	Mondays (open on public holidays, closed the following day), New Year's holidays (December 29th to January 3rd)
Museum Admissions Fee	General: 200 yen Junior high school students and younger: 100 yen *Admission is free for children aged 65 and over (proof required), preschool children, and those with a disability certificate and one caregiver.
Information on Ryuko Park	10:00, 11:00, 14:00 * The gate will open at the above time and you can observe it for 30 minutes.
Gallery talk	Dates: December 21st (Sunday), January 18th (Sunday), February 15th (Sunday), March 8th (Sunday) From 13:00 each day (approximately 40 minutes) Please come directly to the venue.
Venue	Ota Ward Ryuko Memorial Hall