Legendary Artists of Japanese Western Painting: The Centennial of the NIKA Exhibition

Set up by a group of forward-looking, internationally minded artists in 1914, the Nika Association originally rebelled against the Bunten exhibition, a government-run gatekeeper of art that emphasised traditionalism and the maintenance of classic Japanese forms of expression. Introducing ground-breaking Western influences onto the domestic scene, Nika became a bastion of the avant-garde under the leadership of novelist Ikuma Arishima, painter Shintaro Yamashita and company, providing a career trampoline for the likes of portrait master Sotaro Yasui, futurist Seiji Togo and modernist pioneer Narashige Koide. This centennial exhibit recounts the association's history and impact through the work of around 100 contributors, including Taro Okamoto and overseas supporters such as Henri Matisse, providing an extensive overview of 'Japanese Western' painting (yoga).