Tsuguharu Foujita (1886–1968) and Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889–1953) were two Japanese-born artists whose lives and careers unfolded far from their native land, yet often in parallel.
Foujita, a graduate of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, moved to Paris in 1913 and became a leading figure of the École de Paris, renowned for his signature milky-white nudes and bold fusion of Japanese and European techniques.
Kuniyoshi, who left Japan for the United States as a teenager, rose to prominence as a painter in New York, developing a distinctive style that merged Eastern themes with Western modernism. The two artists crossed paths in Paris in the 1920s and in New York in 1930, yet their relationship was ruined by the Pacific War between the US and Japan.
‘The Parallel Careers of Foujita and Yasuo Kuniyoshi: A Centennial Reunion’ at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art reunites these two modern masters, contrasting their journeys through nine thematic chapters. Featuring a rich selection of paintings, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the shared challenges and divergent dreams of two artists shaped by transnational experiences, as they navigated artistic success, exile and the complex legacy of war.
