One of the most famous Japanese painters of the early 20th century, Takehisa Yumeji, never studied art, refused to call himself an artist and decided to become a painter while drunk. Although many of his contemporaries in art circles disliked Takehisa’s work (unsurprisingly, given his own claims that the art circles themselves were pretentious), Takehisa’s drawings became very popular among the general population. Recognised for his drawings of women wearing traditional kimono dresses, he was known as the “Japanese Toulouse-Lautrec" and even now his artworks are held in great esteem – both in Japan and internationally. With a new exhibition featuring his work at the Kobe Fashion Art Museum this spring, visitors can evade the entrance fee by donning a kimono on the day.
Takehisa died in 1934 at the age of 49, and since his death several museums have been founded in order to exhibit his works, and to celebrate his creative life. His career has made such an impact on Japanese culture that Takehisa’s own childhood home in Okayama is even open to curious visitors, evidently eager to see inside the life of this prolific artist. On the 15th of April the Kobe Fashion Art Museum in Tokyo, widely known for its dedication to the history of Japanese comics and illustrations, will display over 200 of Takehisa's drawings. Open until the end of June, this retrospective looks to be a promising insight into both the dressing habits of Japanese women through Takehisa's lifetime, and a view into his own artistic mind.
Takehisa Yumeji exhibition
15 April - 25 June 2017
10: 00 - 18: 00 (Admission is until 17:30)
Kobe Fashion Museum, 2-9-1, Koyocho-naka, Higashinada, Kobe 658-0032 Japan
For more information about the museum or the exhibition, click
here.
