Shunyo-kai: History of the Japanese "Secessionists"

An artistic society founded by artists. An artistic society with a hundred-year history. It is Shunyo-kai, a "club" where - since its foundation - the members respect the originality of each one and where the group supports the activities that each member carries out with a free spirit. The founders did not aim to become a group of artists with similar artistic principles. Instead, they preferred "individualism" and believed it was important to respect the originality of each artist. In Shunyo-kai, artists commented on each other's works to further their studies, raise the next generation, and solidify their foundation. In the Shunyo-kai exhibitions, not only oil paintings but also prints, drawings, ink paintings, and original works for newspaper illustrations were presented. Famous yōga painters (Western-style painting) such as Kosugi Hōan, Kimura Shōhachi and Hasegawa Kiyoshi were active in the group of which in this exhibition we will see over 100 works from its foundation in 1922 to the 1950s.