TOKYO STATION GALLERY

Artists of Shunyo-kai: Celebrating Its 100th Anniversary
Saturday, September 16 – Sunday, November 12, 2023

COMMENTARY ON THE SELECTED ARTISTS

Ishii Tsuruzō (1887-1973)
Ishii entered the Sculpture (wood carving) Division ofTokyo Bijutsu Gakko (Tokyo School of Fine Arts) in 1905,
then transferred to the newly established Molding Divisionin 1907. After graduating, he entered its graduate school.
In 1911, his work was selected and awarded at the 5thBunten (exhibition sponsored by the Ministry ofEducation), which lead his recognition as an emerging
artist. In 1922, he joined the Shunyo-kai as a guest
member. In addition, he only submitted paintings to theShunyo-kai exhibitions. His illustrations for thenewspaper series “Dai Bosatsu Toge” by Nakazato
Kaizan received a high profile. It also expanded
possibilities for the expression of newspaper illustrations.
In 1944, Ishii became a professor at the Sculpture
Division of the Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko. Became a memberof the Japan Art Academy in 1950.
nos.1-6-1~3, no.2-7-1, nos.3-8-1,7,12,15

Umehara Ryūzaburō (1888-1986)
Umehara went to France in 1908 and studied at
Académie Julian, Paris. He visited and studied under therespected Renoir, then came back to Japan in 1913.
When he was invited as the founding member of theShunyo-kai, he recommended a share of the exhibition's
net profits to the exhibitors. After the 3rd Shunyo-kai
exhibition Kishida Ryūsei left the group, so Umehara also
withdrew as an act to take responsibility forrecommending Kishida to join the group. In 1928 heestablished Kokuga-kai. Umehara was awarded theOrder of Culture in 1952. He painted figures, landscapesand still life with bold brushstrokes using vivid colors, andwas a leading figure in Japanese Western-style painting.
nos.1-7-1~4

Oka Shikanosuke (1898-1978)
Oka entered the Western-style Painting Division ofTokyo Bijutsu Gakko in 1919. After graduating he wentto France. A year later he settled in Paris and studied
under Fujita Tsuguharu. Until his return to Japan in
1939, he was into studying pigments and techniquesalong with associating with artists such as Pierre
Bonnard and Albert Marquet. He also kept submitting
his works to Salon d'automne and Salon desindépendants. After his return to Japan, he wasrecommended to the member of Shunyo-kai in 1940,
and from then on submitting his work to the groupbecame the center of his activity. Oka became themember of the Japan Art Academy in 1969. Awarded
the Order of Culture in 1972. After his death, the Oka
Shikanosuke Award was established in Shunyo-kai.
nos.4-3-1~6

Kishida Ryūsei (1891-1929)
Kishida entered the Aoibashi Research Institute forWestern-Style Painting of the Hakuba-kai artists’association in 1908. Then he participated in theestablishment of Fusain-kai and was noted for hisavant-garde works. He established the Sodo-sha in1915. His masterpieces Road Cut through a Hill (1915,The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo) andPortrait of Reiko (1921, Tokyo National Museum) areboth registered as National Important Cultural
Properties of Japan. In 1922, at the founding of
Shunyo-kai, Kishida was invited by Umehara
Ryūzaburō and submitted his works until the 3rd
Shunyo-kai exhibition as a founding guest member.
During this period Kishida was devoted to Japaneseand oriental antiques and his works were reminiscentof them.
nos.1-10-1, 1-10-3~7, 1-10-9~13

Kimura Shōhachi (1893-1958)
Kimura joined the establishment of Fusain-kai in 1912.
After the group’s demolishment, he establishes theSeikatsusha. He also took part in the establishment ofSodo-sha with Kishida Ryūsei in 1915. He was invitedby Yamamoto Kanae at the founding of Shunyo-kai as
a guest member and soon became a member of thegroup. In Shunyo-kai exhibitions, he submitted manymasterpieces depicting the theme of “scenery ofTokyo.” Kimura overtook the office of Shunyo-kai from

TOKYO STATION GALLERY

Adachi Gen’ichirō from 1936 (the turbulent age) to1948. At the time of Kimura’s death, Shunyo-kai
funeral was held. There are many writings andtranslations by Kimura.
nos.1-12-1~4, nos.2-9-1~2, nos.3-3-1~5,nos.3-9-3,4,7,8,11,12,15,16,19.20,23,24,27,28,31,32*The works of Kimura Shohachi’s display period differs by the numbers.
Odd numbers are displayed during: 9/16~10/15, even numbers aredisplayed during: 10/17~11/12.

was selected to the member of Salon d'automne theprintmaking division and became the member ofFrench creative wood block printing association in
1928. Hasegawa submitted 14 works to the 8th
Shunyo-kai exhibition and undertook the group’s
branch office in Paris. Awarded the Legion d'honneur
in 1935. He was imprisoned as a Japanese resident inDrancy camp in 1945. Awarded the French Order ofCulture in 1966 and also La Medaille de Vermeillede la Ville de Paris a year later.
nos.3-11-1~6

Kosugi Hōan (1881-1964)
Kosugi studied Western style painting from Ioki Bunsaiand Fudo-sha art school. In 1913, he traveled around
Europe and there he met the reprint of Ike no Taiga’sJubenzu (The Ten Conveniences and The TenPleasures) which made his interest increase towards
Japanese painting. Kosugi joined the Shunyo-kai in
1922, and worked at its office. He established Rosokaiin 1927 having the Chinese scholar Kota Rentaro as
the group’s teacher. He was appointed as a member of
the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts under thereorganization of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts
(Matsuda reorganization), but submitted hisresignation. He was ordered to be a member of theImperial Academy of Fine Arts in 1937.
no.1-1-1, nos.2-1-1, no.3-1-1

Nakagawa Kazumasa (1893-1991)
Nakagawa started to paint in oil around 1914 selftaught. His work submitted at the 14th Tatsumi Gakai
was recommended by Kishida Ryūsei and chosen.
Nakagawa joined the Sodo-sha in 1915. He was thefounding guest member of Shunyo-kai in 1922. He
continued submitting his works to Shunyo-kai
exhibitions until his later years. Nakagawa started towork on the series of landscape painting “Hakone,Komagatake Mountain” around 1967. He was awardeda Person of Cultural Merit and Order of Culture in 1975.
In 1986 Nakagawa Kazumasa Memorial Museum ofArt (Ishikawa Prefecture) opened. In 1989 Nakagawa
Kazumasa Art Museum, Manazuru Town (KanagawaPrefecture) opened.
no.1-13-1, nos.3-10-3,8,9,11,16, nos.4-2-1~4

Hasegawa Kiyoshi (1891-1980)
Hasegawa learned etching from Okada Saburosuke
and Bernard Leach. He established Nihon Hanga clubin 1916. Went to France in 1918 and a year later in
April, settled in Paris. From 1922 he started to research
the technique of mezzotint (manière noire). In 1926 he

Yamamoto Kanae (1882-1946)
Yamamoto entered Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko Western style
painting division in 1902. His Gyofu (fisherman)published in the magazine Myojyo in 1904 is known as
the monumental work of the Sosaku Hanga (creativeprints) movement. He went to France in 1912. On theway home he visited Moscow at the eve of revolution
and became interested in Russian peasant-arts andfree children's art programs. In 1918 he established
Nihon Sosaku Hanga Kyokai (Japan Creative PrintAssociation) and committed to the development ofcreative printmaking. In 1919, establishes the Nihon
Farmer’s art Institute. He was the founding member ofthe Shunyo-kai. Yamamoto Kanae’s posthumousworks exhibition room was held in the 25th Shunyo-kai
exhibition in 1948.
no.1-3-2, no.2-3-1

Yorozu Tetsugorō (1885-1927)
Yorozu entered the Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko in 1907. Oneof the works he submitted as the graduation work in1912 was Nude Beauty (The National Museum ofModern Art, Tokyo) which is now a National Important
Cultural Properties of Japan. Also, Yorozu submitted
his work to the Fusain-kai group’s exhibition which wasfound the same year. In 1917 his work submitted to the
4th Nika exhibition came into the limelight as a Cubismesque work. He joined Shunyo-kai’s founding in 1922
as a guest member, started to study Nanga (theChinese-influenced literati style of painting) around thisperiod. In 1923 became the member of the group andsubmitted unique works to its exhibitions. After hisdeath, a room dedicated to Yorozu was held at the 6th
Shunyo-kai exhibition in 1928 introducing 80
posthumous works.
no.1-5-1, nos.2-5-1, 2-5-5~8