Delegates from Shanghai University Fine Arts College visit TFAM

On April 18, Distinguished Visiting Professor Hu Mingzhe of Shanghai University’s Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and Academy students visited the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. The Chinese delegation was welcomed by TFAM Deputy Director Yoshiro Shimizu, later viewing two ongoing exhibitions, “Samurai Dandyism: The Pride of a Warrior, From Swords to Inro Medicine Cases” and “500 Years of Western Paintings.” They spoke on TFAM’s longstanding initiatives to promote cultural exchange with China, as well as on “500 Years of Western Paintings,” which is currently being held at the Powerlong Art Museum in Shanghai, China.

TFAM officials pay courtesy call on PRC embassy in Japan

On April 15, senior representatives of the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum led by Board of Trustees Chair Kazuhiko Oshida and Director Akira Gokita paid a courtesy call on newly-appointed Cultural Counselor Shi Yongjing of the People’s Republic of China Embassy in Minato Ward, Tokyo. They spoke on past China-themed exhibitions held by TFAM—including “Treasures from Dunhuang, China,” “Great Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and “Chinese Characters: A Legacy and Marvel Perfected Over Three Millennia”—that have been realized through a longstanding cultural exchange program between the Japanese museum and China.

“The World of Man Ray” opened

The Tokyo Fuji Art Museum opened two exhibitions—“The World of Man Ray” and “Samurai Dandyism: The Pride of a Warrior, from Swords to Inro Medicine Cases”— on April 2 at its Permanent Gallery in the new annex. The Man Ray exhibition will be shown until June 30.

Man Ray (1890-1976) was a painter, photographer, objet d’art artist and filmmaker who, given his open and outgoing personality, formed friendships with numerous peers in the art world as well as Parisian aristocrats of his day.

The exhibition is divided into three sections—ranging from his stint and creations in New York and Paris to Hollywood—and features 80 of his paintings, photographs, objets d’art, books and film belonging to the TFAM collection.

TFAM Director Gokita pays courtesy call on Nicholas Poussin Museum

On March 15, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Director Akira Gokita paid a courtesy call on the Nicholas Poussin Museum located in the heart of Normandy, Les Andelys, France.

Les Andelys is where 17th century painter Nicholas Poussin was born; the museum exhibits one of his masterpieces Coriolanus.

Director Gokita was welcomed by senior Les Andelys officials led by Mayor Frederic Duchet and enjoyed the artworks of Poussin guided by a museum curator Ms. Françoise Baron, with Director Sylvain Amic of Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen also in attendance.

PHOTO CAPTION: TFAM Director Gokita (third from left) flanked by Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen Director Amic, Mayor Duchet and others

University of Buckingham Professor Martin Ricketts visits TFAM

On March 19, University of Buckingham Professor of Economic Organization Martin Ricketts of the United Kingdom visited the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. He was welcomed by Executive Director Akira Kaneko and toured the “Léonard Foujita with His Private Works” exhibition as well as the permanent exhibition “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century–500 Years of Western Paintings.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Professor Martin Ricketts (center)

“Flowers of Immense Charm” exhibition closes in Taiwan

The exhibition “Flowers of Immense Charm—A Masterpiece Exhibition by Four Major Museums” held at the National Taiwan Museum (NTM) closed on February 10 with great success. The exhibition had been held from October 2018 with the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum among the four museums—led by NTM and including The National Palace Museum and Chimei Museum—collaborating in the event.

TFAM loaned 25 pieces from its collection of folding-screen paintings and Ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the Edo period as well as modern Japanese works. More than 420,000 people visited the TFAM collection.

TFAM has promoted cultural exchange with Taiwan through such exhibitions as “On Site: A Centennial Retrospective of Robert Capa” (2013) and “Grand Masters of Ukiyo-e from Tokyo Fuji Art Museum’s Permanent Collection” (2016) at the National Taiwan Museum in the past.

Delegates of Art Exhibitions China visit TFAM

On January 25, a delegation of Art Exhibitions China led by Deputy Director Zhou Ming and Curatorial Department Deputy Division Chief Li Tiankai visited the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum and were welcomed by TFAM Board of Trustees Chair Kazuhiko Oshida. Reflecting on the numerous cultural exchanges with China to date, the Chinese party and Oshida discussed various ideas for collaborative exhibitions they may hold in the near future.

The delegates also viewed TFAM’s latest exhibition, “Léonard Foujita with His Private Works,” as well as its permanent exhibition, “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Deputy Director Zhou (third from left) and Deputy Division Chief Li (far left)

China’s Tsinghua University offers appreciation to TFAM founder

On January 22, Tsingua University Art Museum Standing Deputy Executive Director Du Pengfei led a delegation visiting the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. He brought with him a certificate of appreciation to TFAM founder Daisaku Ikeda on behalf of Tsinghua University expressing gratitude for the exhibition, “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings,” which was held with works on loan from the Japanese museum at the Chinese university’s art museum in 2018. TFAM Board of Trustees Chair Kazuhiko Oshida accepted the certificate on the founder’s behalf.

The exhibition was a collaborative effort with TFAM that provided the displayed works from its collection. More than 125,000 people viewed the exhibition, breaking the record for the Tsingua University museum.

PHOTO CAPTION: Deputy Executive Director Du Pengfei (fourth from left) handed a certificate of appreciation to TFAM Board of Trustees Chair Oshida.

Shanghai’s Powerlong Art Museum opens TFAM Western painting exhibition

On January 11, the Powerlong Art Museum in Shanghai held the opening ceremony for the exhibition, “From the Renaissance to the 20th Century—500 Years of Western Paintings,” featuring 60 works from the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum collection.

At the ceremony, congratulatory words were shared from Shanghai International Culture Association Deputy President and General Secretary Deng Xiaoxian, Powerlong Group Director and Powerlong Culture Executive Director Xu Hualin, Shanghai Tix-Media President Xie Dingwei as well as from TFAM Executive Director Akira Kaneko. TFAM Curatorial Department Director Kenichi Hirano introduced the exhibition program.

Deputy President Deng expressed gratitude to TFAM’s support not only for the exhibition but also for longstanding effort to strengthen friendship between China and Japan. Director Xu praised the TFAM collection as a microcosm of the history of Western art. Meanwhile, President Xie offered his gratitude to TFAM founder Daisaku Ikeda for his role in holding the exhibition in China.

The exhibition is open to the public from January 12 until April 30.

Royal Academy of Arts opens exhibit with TFAM Turner collection

On January 12, the Royal Academy of Arts in London opened the exhibition, “‘He has been here and fired a gun’: Turner, Constable and the Royal Academy,” to celebrate its 250th anniversary. Among the works on display was Turner’s “Helvoetsluys: the City of Utrecht, 64, Going to Sea” on loan from the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum.

The exhibition is being held at the Royal Academy Collection Gallery until March 31.

The Royal Academy of Arts and TFAM collaborated in 2014 when the latter hosted the special exhibition, “Genius and Ambition: The Royal Academy of Arts, London 1768-1918,” with Academy President Christopher Le Brun attending the opening ceremony.

PHOTO CAPTION: Art Director Tim Marlow (far left) and exhibition curator Dr. Per Rumberg (second from left)