On view through January 26, 2020 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, this major exhibition of artworks selected from its stellar Japanese painting collection entitled, “A Brush with Beauty: Japanese Paintings in Ink, Color, and Gold” highlights the rich diversity of styles and modes of expression generated over 700 years by Japan’s greatest painters.
“The exhibition will feature exceptional works by well-known artists as well as visually stunning masterpieces by painters whose names have been lost over the intervening centuries,” said Dr. John Teramoto, the IMA’s Curator of Asian Art. “This will be a rare opportunity for guests to encounter and savor the rich pageantry and diversity of Japanese painting through objects of the highest quality.”
Considered to be one of the finest collections of Japanese paintings in the United States due to its rich variety, quality and depth, over 80 Japanese masterworks in the form of folding screens, hanging and hand scrolls, fans and album leaves, ranging from the intimate to the monumental in size including works done solely in ink along with gorgeous paintings in rich pigments on gold and silver leaf ground.
The exhibition will also feature hands-on and digital interactives, including a sorting experience that connects guests with the artistic schools that flourished throughout Japan’s history. By taking a personality quiz, of sorts, guests will receive a school assignment and card with basic information and an artwork to find in the exhibition. Guests can gain an understanding of the research and methods used in the conservation of ancient masterpieces.
In addition, through the run of the show guests can also visit, Infinitely Kusama, Fashion Redefined: Miyake, Kawakubo Yamamoto, Nihonto: The Samurai Sword and 47 Ronin: A Tale of Honor and Loyalty.