The exhibition, ‘Earthsongs From Japan’ opened at Kalamkaar, Bikaner House, marking the first India debut of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Kumagai Minoru. Presented by LIVNGO Hospitality LLP and curated by Uma Nair, the show ran from 25 February to March 1.
Born in Kyoto in 1941, Minoru studied Japanese painting at the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts. Over the decades, he has developed a distinctive visual language influenced by travel, design practice and his observation of nature. The exhibition featured 50 works on paper that reflect featuring various landscapes painted in glowing colours.
For the artist, nature is his greatest inspiration. “I love nature, including the universe,” he told TMS. “I am fascinated by the changes in nature's growth, the movements born from its activity, the shapes and colors that flow.” He added that when he is absorbed in nature, his sensibilities are “revived and reborn.”
All of his artworks have been painted in a unique technique called ‘Saihaku’ or ‘Saihakuga’. The process combines traditional gold and silver leaf with coloured and holographic foils, layered with Japanese pigments and acrylic paints. The result is luminous surfaces that change with light and space. “While respecting traditional Japanese painting techniques, I express myself through modern, innovative techniques,” the artist explained.
Curator Nair noted that Minoru depicts traditional landscapes with modern abstraction and” impressionistic touches”. “His exposure to many international masters gives him a unique understanding of a masterful use of creating rich layers and textures of modern landscapes, to signify to us a creative fusion of aesthetic values upheld in both the East as well as the West.”