© Bunkamura

A painter who continued exploring various expressions, Kawanabe Kyosai

Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-1889) is a painter who lived during the tumultuous period from the end of the Edo period to the early Meiji period.

After being a disciple of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, an ukiyo-e artist, in his childhood, he finished training at the age of 19 in the Kano School, and went on to learn various painting styles unbound by established schools.

Kyosai painted with overwhelming painting skills on various subjects ranging from Buddhist paintings to caricatures, sometimes with a unique sense of humour.

Kawanabe Kyosai ≪Hell Courtesan (Jigoku-dayū) and Ikkyū≫ 1871-89
Israel Goldman Collection, London
Photo: Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University

This exhibition shows an overview of the diverse range of Kyosai’s works in the Israel Goldman Collection, which is known as being one of the world’s largest Kyosai collections.

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