The proto-pop art of Yumeji Takehisa(竹久夢二)
By Kumi Matsumaru / Japan News Staff Writer
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Artist Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934) has long attracted a following with his well-known elegant but often melancholic depictions of women.
But two ongoing exhibitions in Tokyo focus on a different side of Takehisa, one as a graphic artist who was engaged in a variety of works closely associated with everyday life. The exhibitions show us Takehisa can even be regarded as a proto-pop artist because his works were filled with fresh designs or ideas that influenced what people of his time used, wore or even how they decorated their homes.
“Yumeji is known for his gracious depictions of languid women in bijinga (beautiful woman) paintings, but this show proves he actually was active in a variety of fields,” said Akira Tomita, director of Tokyo Station Gallery in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, where more than 500 of the artist’s works are being shown in an exhibition titled “Takehisa Yumeji: Master of Japanese Modern Illustration.”
Among the exhibits shown in four sections are 134 original drawings Takehisa did for a serial autobiographical novel that was carried in a newspaper in 1927. This is the first time they are being shown to the public.
Occupying an entire wall is a portion of more than 270 paintings he did for the book covers of musical scores. They indicate Takehisa’s adeptness at capturing the mood of each piece of music, using flowing lines and graphic lettering. He did the paintings between 1916 and 1927, the period soon after various music genres started entering Japan. (252 words)
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