Photo/Illutration Norio Abe, head curator at the Adachi Museum of Art in the Furukawacho district of Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, explains "Autumn Leaves" by Taikan Yokoyama on Sept. 11. (Masashi Shimizu)

YASUGI, Shimane Prefecture--The Adachi Museum of Art here is hosting a special exhibition reflecting the full scope of Taikan Yokoyama's work to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Located in the city's Furukawacho district, the museum boasts a collection of about 120 pieces by Yokoyama (1868-1958). Of these, 102 are on display for "The Whole of Yokoyama Taikan," making it the largest number ever assembled for an exhibition.

Zenko Adachi (1899-1990), who founded the museum, had a deep love for the works of Yokoyama, a leading modern Japanese-style painter.

The exhibition, which runs until Oct. 25, traces chronologically the career of Yokoyama, who lived through the Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras (1868-1989).

A number of his masterpieces are on display, including "Selflessness" (1897), which portrays a state of deep awareness through an innocent child, and "Towing a Boat" (1901), one of his representative works rendered in "morotai" (blurred style) to express air and light with shading and blurring techniques without outlines.

The show also marks the first time in 10 years to exhibit "Autumn Leaves" (1931), a lavishly designed decorative painting, and "Twenty Scenes of the Sea and Mt. Fuji" (1940), a series of works created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Yokoyama's painting career, at the same venue.

In addition, 13 pieces themed on Mount Fuji, Yokoyama's recurrent motif throughout his career, are on display. While Japan's tallest peak is portrayed in a realistic and dynamic manner in "Divine Japan" (1942), painted during World War II, Mount Fuji is presented in a relaxed and tender way in works from his later years.

Norio Abe, head curator at the museum, said the appeal of Yokoyama's works lies in his unique ideas and wide variety of painting techniques.

"We hope visitors appreciate Taikan's art and spend a peaceful time here," he added.

The venue is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is 2,300 yen ($22) for adults, 1,800 for college students, 1,000 yen for senior high school students and 500 yen for junior high and elementary school students.

For more information, visit the official website at (https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/en/archives/shinkan/taikan).

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