Photo/Illutration A sheet of paper for “The Hiroshima Panels (I): Ghosts” is pasted onto a new folding screen on March 31 in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture. (Kazuhiro Nagashima)

NAGAKUTE, Aichi Prefecture--A famed artwork that depicts the horrors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima will soon become available again for public viewing after more than a year-long restoration effort.

“The Hiroshima Panels (I): Ghosts,” executed in ink wash style on traditional Japanese “washi” paper on a folding screen, was created by Iri Maruki (1901-1995) and his wife, Toshi (1912-2000).

The couple aimed to produce a sense of the aftermath of the U.S. attack that leveled the city and killed tens of thousands of people.

The artwork measures 1.8 meters by 7.2 meters. It was first made available for viewing in 1950. But stains and other noticeable damage appeared over the years. 

The Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels, which keeps the picture in Higashi-Matsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, outside Tokyo, was determined to preserve the artwork to convey the tragedy of the atomic bomb to the next generation by letting students fix it.

As a result, the refurbishing project got under way at Aichi University of the Arts’ Institute for Conservation of Cultural Property in Nagakute in December 2021.

As a first step, the institute scanned the painting and its internal structure with X-rays and infrared rays.

An underlying sheet of paper to reinforce the picture on washi was then replaced with a new one. Yellowish stains were also removed.

The renovated painting was applied to a new folding screen in late March. The program is expected to be complete by May.

Researcher Akiko Isogai said she “took pride” in being able to commit herself to the work.

“I hope this picture will be passed down to posterity,” she added.

Related News