Current
East & West
Featuring works by Etsu Egami, YuyeLai, JY, Jan Meissner, Liu Jude, Lily Alice Baker
On view through November 2nd
Forms of intercultural fusion in painting
Yamanashi Emiko, Director, Chiba City Museum of Art
Special support: Tokyo Art Think Tank
Introduction
The development of machine civilization accelerated, the movement of people and goods has become more frequent, and intercultural exchange has progressed in various places. it seems that everyone contains a certain degree of cultural hybridity today, since information flies through the Internet and people easily cross borders using developed transportation networks, the existence of different cultures and mutual exchanges are different from those in the 19th and 20th centuries. On the other hand, as people have different bodies existing at a limited point in space, and continue to move along the time axis, connections between specific places and people are inevitable, and whether each person likes it or not, a sense of belonging to a place is created, and the knowledge and skills that each person encounters in the places they have passed through accumulate within them. Having studied modern Japanese Western painting, the theme of intercultural acceptance has always been relevant to me, and the works and words of the painters I study also express their concerns of working on things from a different culture that are different from the art materials and themes they are familiar with, and this has been a source of nourishment for me. In this article, I would like to introduce how the characteristics of Western and Japanese art have been described and the attempts of artists to utilize them in light of the history of modern Japanese Western painting, in preparation for this exhibition. I hope that this article will provide a perspective for viewing the works on display at this exhibition.
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Understanding the Characteristics of Western Painting in the History of Japanese Painting
As is well known, in the late 19th century, Western artists were not satisfied with the academic painting style that had been cultivated for a long time, and various new styles of painting were born. Among them, painters who would later be called Impressionists are said to have been shocked by the vivid colors, flat expressions and innovative compositions in Japanese ukiyo-e that were different from their realistic representations. On the other hand, in Japan, until the mid-19th century, the Edo Shogunate only traded with limited areas such as the Netherlands, China, and the Korean Peninsula, so information about Western art was only conveyed to a limited number of people through books and objects brought by trade. Compared to the paintings they had been familiar with, people in the 18th century evaluated these Western paintings for their realism, three-dimensional representation, and spatial expression. For example, Satake Shozan (1747-85), a painter of Akita Ranga painting who studied Western copperplate prints, wrote, "The use of a painting is to value resemblance; astronomy, geography, people, flowers, birds, and everything has to be depicted true to nature" (Gaho Koryo, 1778). Shiba Kokan (1747-1818), who studied Dutch picture books and other sources, wrote in his book Seiyo Gadan (1799) that "Japanese and Chinese paintings are playthings and have no practical use, while Western painting uses light and shade to create three dimensional representation and perspective to create near, depth and shallowness. Although the function of words and pictures are almost the same, when it comes to the shape it is difficult to understand without a picture. For this reason, many books from that country use illustrations to explain things." During this period, the main methods of learning were linear perspective and shading to express relief, but oil painting had not yet been fully adopted.
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The fusion of Eastern and Western paintings in Japanese Western paintings during the Meiji period - examples of Takahashi Yuichi and Kuroda Seiki
In the second half of the 19th century, mainland China began to be ceded to Western countries, and foreign ships frequently sailed around Japan, encouraging the country to accept the foreign exchanges. Starting with the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and Japan in 1854, Japan opened its doors to foreign exchange, and Western settlements were established in Nagasaki, Yokohama, Kobe, and other places, resulting in active exchange of people and goods. During the Edo period, science and technology were mainly learned through books from overseas, but they began to be conveyed to Japanese people through foreigners who came to Japan, and people in the art world began to learn oil painting techniques and photography. Takahashi Yuichi (1828-1894), known as the pioneer of Western-style painting in Japan, wrote in his autobiography that when he saw Western lithographs at the end of the Edo period, he "discovered that they were all truly close and that there was a kind of taste" and that this sparked his desire to study oil painting (Takahashi Yuichi Rireki, Takahashi Yuichi Yuga Shiryo, edited by Aoki Shigeru, Chuokoron-Bijutsu Shuppan, 1984). At the time, it was difficult to obtain oil painting materials, so he made his own paints using pigments and drying oils that were traditionally available in Japan, and used familiar objects ingeniously, such as a sashimi plate as a palette. He also wrote that because brushes for writing and painting on paper and silk are not suitable for the sticky oil paints, he gave instructions on how to make brushes using hard bristles such as pig hair and had them custom-made. Looking at Yuichi's works, it can be surmised that the reason he tried to overcome such difficulties to paint oil paintings was because he wanted realist expression of the texture of the subject. Oil paints have a unique luster, and by applying layers, it is possible to paint the unevenness of the subjects. Yuichi is said to have often painted everyday objects around him in order to make the realism of oil paintings more widely understood, and in works such as "Tofu and Fried Tofu," we can see that he makes good use of the texture expression unique to oil paintings. On the other hand, Yuichi's still life paintings are not based on a single-point perspective of the subject as in a photograph, and as a result of repeatedly concentrating on each individual part to be painted realistically, the overall expression has a distorted sense of perspective. In this respect, there is a certain limit to Yuichi's acceptance of Western paintings, but conversely, there is a strong originality. It may be said that Yuichi's works, who did not receive formal Western art education, unconsciously reflected the vision and painting techniques of the Edo period. While Yuichi used the viscosity of oil paint to express the texture of the subject in "Tofu and Fried Tofu," he struggled to express the calligraphy he uses every day in oil paint, as can be seen in the calligraphy of hiragana in "Yomihon and Books." Here, the aim was to realistically reproduce the daily life of children with their school supplies, and it does not seem that the aim was to fuse oriental ink writing with oil painting. Rather, the Calligraphy in the painting does not succeed in reproducing the brush strokes such as the striking and strife that are important in calligraphy, so it does not seem that he tried to utilize the characteristics of ink writing in oil painting.
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The Meiji Art Association, which was founded in 1889 by the next generation of Western-style artists after Yuichi, was founded with the aim of creating "art unique to Japan" and consciously aimed to fuse the Western cultures, but in terms of style, it was mainly oil paintings based on Western painting methods and gentle naturalism, with subjects such as landscapes and folk tales familiar to Japanese people. As mentioned above, in the late 19th century, Chinese and Japanese tastes were popular in the West, and the Impressionists who learned from ukiyo-e emerged. Japanese painters of the next generation after Yuichi, who studied in the West at that time, returned to Japan having learned a new style of painting. Kuroda Seiki (1866-1924) studied oil painting during his stay in Paris since 1884 to 1893 under the academic plein air painter Raphaël Collin (1850-1916). Following Collin's teachings, Kuroda emphasized in his work not the realistic depiction advocated by Yuichi, but anatomically based depictions of the human body, and conveying abstract concepts such as love and courage and the artist's ideology through groups of people, and he also emphasized free individual expression in his style. Kuroda's return to Japan introduced the expression of bright light expression to Japan, and lead a major change in the art world. In an era when international expositions were held frequently, Kuroda and his generation began to make serious efforts to make Japanese oil paintings internationally acclaimed. Kuroda had been concerned by the fact that nude painting, which is the basis of art studies in the West, was not studied in Japan, and that nude paintings were instead considered erotic paintings. When he exhibited his work "Morning Toilet," which had been selected for the Salon of the French Artists Association in 1893, at the Fourth Domestic Industrial Exposition held in Kyoto in 1895, the work was criticized for being unsuitable for public morals, and in response to the nude painting controversy, he created a triptych of Japanese nudes entitled "Wisdom, Impression, Sentiments." In this work, Kuroda created an ideal image of the body of a Japanese woman based on French nude, and by deliberately choosing a subject that is not easily related to the nude pose, he showed that in art, the body image symbolizes an abstract concept. The use of an all-gold background is said to be a reference to a style commonly used in Japanese paintings up until the Edo period, such as gold folding screens. Although "Wisdom, Impression, Sentiment" won a silver medal at the Paris World's Fair, Japanese Western-style paintings at the fair were not well received, Japanese Western-style painters who saw their own works at the fair were said to have been disappointed by the lack of vitality of their own works compared to those from other countries. It was not until Foujita Tsuguharu (1886-1968), who studied under Kuroda at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, that Japanese painters were truly recognized in Western art circles.
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The form of fusion that Foujita Tsuguharu aimed for
Foujita Tsuguharu, known as a painter of the Ecole de Paris, traveled to France in 1913 and avoided the First World War by staying in England and other places instead of returning to Japan. He tried to create a style of painting that made use of the characteristics of Japanese art. As for his method, Foujita said, "At that time, the style of the master Segonzac, who used thick paint, was popular. So I cecided to try to paint smooth pictures. Also, if others paint Van Dongen-like pictures with large brushes, I will try to paint small faces, like a calligraphy brush. Also, if Matisse-like paintings are made with complex, beautiful colors, I'll try to create oil paintings using only black and white. In this way, I set out to do the opposite of what all other painters were doing." He also said, "I decided that black should be used more in Japanese oil paintings. I also thought that I should study brushes and use all the materials myself, so that my works would surprise people." (Tsuguharu Foujita, "Admonitions for Young People," "Bura Ippon" 1937, Toho Art Association). From this attempt, Foujita created his own style of painting, drawing the outline of the motif with thin lines of ink on a unique white background for oil painting, and became highly appreciated artist in the Paris art world. It can be said that Foujita made a conscious attempt to utilize the colors, brush lines, bleeding, and black ink, which have been traditionally cultivated in Japanese art, as well as the production method that emphasizes one-time work and eliminates repainting, in oil painting. It is noteworthy that Foujita used the smooth lines in ukiyo-e among various Oriental line drawing, in his own distinctive style. Needless to say, calligraphy originated in China, and has produced a variety of calligraphy styles over its long history. In addition to the well-known calligraphy styles of Shinsho, Sosho, and Gyosho, works by calligraphers such as "Huaiso Jijushu" (Self-writings of Huaisu) show free and diverse lines that show a thorough understanding of the compatibility between the ink, which has been rubbed with water, and the support of paper or silk. Such lines are also used in ink paintings, and notable examples can be seen in Xu Wei (1521-1593), Shitao (1642-1707), and Bada Shanren (1626?-1705?) from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. During the Ecole de Paris era when Foujita was active, artists from all over the world gathered in Paris, each striving for their own unique style of expression, among whom were artists of East Asian origin. Some artists, such as Sanyu (1895-1966), were born in Sichuan Province, China, and moved to Paris, and used Chinese calligraphy lines in their oil paintings. This may have been the reason why Foujita chose to draw smooth lines without thickening or thinning.
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Artists in this exhibition
Since pencils began to be used in primary education in Japan, calligraphy is no longer used on a daily basis unless you learn it in a calligraphy class. It seems that people born in the 1930s inherited the physical brush technique and brush habits that come from being familiar with calligraphy on a daily basis, but these days, this is no longer the case. With the spread of PCs and smartphones, it seems that even children have fewer opportunities to write by hand. Artists who choose to use a brush in this era will have embodied a cultural identity different from that of previous eras. For example, Liu Jude freely uses both Eastern and Western techniques such as ink painting, oil painting, and three-dimensional ceramic modeling, but his understanding of form and composition of the screen show his learning from the ink painting tradition. JY obtained his doctorate in statistical physics on "permeation" and has continuously tried to use the results of his work in artistic expression. He has continued to create works that utilize the tradition of calligraphy based on his analysis of Eastern art using modern mathematics. Egami Etsu studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, and after studying in Germany, is now an internationally active painter. Using human faces as her motif, her paintings are composed of a series of diverse, colored lines drawn with thick brushes. She uses oil paint on canvas, but moves her brush in one go, like calligraphy, making use of brush smudges and paint bleeding in her expressions. Amayorai also studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and says she aims to fuse oil painting, which has Western origins, with Eastern calligraphy. She dissolves her paint in a large amount of oil, and paints children as her main motif on the canvas with varying degrees of speed and force. Lily Alice Baker says, "We learn who we are by blending into others," and as she says, she uses rich, colorful compositions to depict scenes with multiple people intertwined. Intercultural fusion is not limited to different countries, but can also be extended to different communities. Jan Meissner's works are color photographs, but the number of colors is limited, and the contours are expressed in a blurred manner, and the flatness and symbolism of the work's space have something in common with Eastern painting. As mentioned at the beginning, we live in an age where people, things, and information move and exchange at a rapid pace, and many people cannot escape cultural hybridity. Even in such an environment, we cannot help but confirm our own identity and belonging. We can observe such attempt in all of the works in this exhibition which will surely resonate with viewers.
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​BIOS
Etsu Egami (b. 1994, Chiba, Japan) is a representative of the third generation of post-war Japanese contemporary artists, actively involved in Japan, China, the United States, and Europe.
Egami's work often centers on themes of miscommunication, ambiguity, and the limits of language. She is particularly fascinated by how messages are translated or lost between different cultural and linguistic contexts. Using large, sweeping brushstrokes, her paintings combine abstract and figurative elements to evoke emotions, thoughts, and experiences that transcend words. Her use of color, particularly soft pastels and muted tones, creates a dreamlike quality that emphasizes the fluidity of meaning.
Egami studied at The Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HFG) in Germany and at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher at Tsing Hua University. Her works are collected by notable institutions such as: He Art Museum; Hiroshima Woodone Museum of Art; Central Academy of Fine Art Museum; Yusaku Maezawa Collection; Nanjo Art Museum; Yuan Art Museum; Yi Lian Foundation; Damei Museum; Longlati Foundation; Tree Art Museum; Masamichi Toyama Collection; Korea Suncheon City Art Center; Hua Wei Collection; HOW MUSEUM; Masatoshi KUMAGAI collection.
Jan Meissner (b. 1944, Placedo Junction, Texas) is a New York based photographer currently living and working in New York. Over the past two years, using a long range lens, she has worked at night from her Manhattan rooftop, capturing fragments of life inside of distant windows. A former writer, Meissner embraces a painterly approach to her photographs that she builds in the same way that she once “built short stories—bit by bit—one bit affecting another bit so that other changes must be made to accommodate the new whole.”
Meissner’s photography is distinguished by her keen ability to capture fleeting moments. Her images often feature everyday scenes—people moving through crowded streets, reflections in rain-soaked pavement, and the juxtaposition of the city’s architecture against the human stories unfolding within it. Her use of natural light, contrast, and bold compositions lend her photographs a cinematic quality. Meissner’s photographs resonate with viewers by capturing the essence of the city in ways that feel both familiar and entirely new, inviting reflection on the beauty of the everyday.
JY (b.1958) was born in China and is widely regarded as a pioneering figure in the development of contemporary art in Japan. With a doctorate in physics, JY has revolutionized Oriental art by integrating his scientific knowledge and philosophical interests into his artistic process.
Prior to becoming an artist, JY worked as an institutional scientist in Japan. Drawing inspiration from the teachings of Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, his artworks engage in a discourse that navigates the realms of reductionism in science and intellectual ideologies.
Lily Alice Baker (b.1998) was born in Newcastle, raised in Kent, and is based currently in London. She completed her Foundation Diploma in Fine Art at Sussex Coast College in Hastings and her B.A. in Fine Art at Goldsmiths University in London.
Drawing on both Abstract Expressionism and figurative painting, Baker’s work explores her own identity in a world catered to masculinity. Naturally inclined to push herself outside her boundaries, Baker navigates spaces that are not traditionally a safe haven for female and queer people and, with a keen eye for body language, renders the revealing ways in which gender is performed. Figures in the midst of vulnerability or machismo are recalled by their most telling characteristic— a slumped shoulder, a raised brow— and then blended together with bold painterly gestures that defy the hermetically sealed notion of the female body. The glowing anthropomorphic figures that emerge from Baker’s seedy dreamscapes hint at the possibility of a public arena where fluid notions of gender might thrive. “We learn who we are by blending into others,” Baker says. “It requires bouncing between people who view the world differently.”
Liu Jude (b.1956) is a contemporary artist known for his evocative explorations of memory, identity, and the passage of time through multi-layered compositions. Originally from China, Liu Jude draws on his cultural heritage, blending traditional Chinese art forms with modern techniques, resulting in a unique visual language that speaks to both the past and present.
His work often incorporates bold, abstract forms and rich textures, employing mixed media such as acrylics, ink, and found objects to create dynamic pieces that challenge conventional perspectives. With a deep interest in the concept of impermanence, Jude’s art captures fleeting moments, creating a sense of movement and transformation within each piece.
Yuyelai (b.1999) questions the complexity of human relationships. Inspired by both Chinese and Japanese culture, the artist feels out of step with human society and seeks to identify the real nature of man between 'reason' and 'animality'. To protect herself, she uses the symbol of the umbrella, an indispensable object. Used to shelter from the rain as well as from the sun, the umbrella represents for her, her attachment to Asia and her roots. In her oil paintings, where the gesture stretches the material, this everyday object takes on the role of a shield creating a refuge for her characters from nature but also from the world around them.