”Peony”

Murakami Kagaku

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Artist Name: Murakami Kagaku
Title: ”Peony”
Dimensions: 27.0×24.3 cm
Medium: Ink, Color, and Gold Leaf on Silk
Year: 1922 (Taishō 11)
Description: Murakami Kagaku was born in 1888 (Meiji 21) and died in 1940 (Shōwa 15).

After graduating from the research course of the Kyoto Municipal School of Painting (now Kyoto City University of Arts), he joined Tsuchida Bakusen and Ono Chikkyo in founding the Kokuga Sōsaku Kyōkai (National Creative Painting Association), an organization established in opposition to the government-sponsored exhibitions. However, after its fifth exhibition, he withdrew from the mainstream art world and retired to Hanakuma in Kobe, seeking deeper spiritual introspection.

He continued to create a distinctive world of ink painting, depicting subjects such as deeply spiritual images of Kannon (Avalokiteśvara), landscapes of Mount Rokko, and peonies. His works are marked by profound spirituality and an intense inward focus.

“Art is a child born between God, Nature, and oneself.”

— From Murakami Kagaku’s On Art Theory (Garon)