This is Kyōsai! The Israel Goldman Collection Celebrated Japanese artist

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎Never to miss for all
Official site
(Photographs herein are taken under special permission by the organizers)

Site: the Bunkamura Museum of Art
Until 16th April, 2017

Kawanabe Kyosai is a polygon artist who left abundant and varied works,  and the curators could arrange an exhibition of   his works from various angles. This one focus on subjects as well as styles applied according thereto, giving you a new insight on his art, life and time.

Raven Scrolls

The first section is "animals", especially ravens, the most popular subject among his works.  His animals are with expressive looks and yet based on precise watching.  Ravens appear to be a mirror to human being.

Animals

Kiosk's sense of humor is on the summit of Japanese modern painters.  But he is not a isolated peak from historical viewpoint but is a successor to Kuniyoshi and painters in Kyoto, further to medieval maki scrolls.
The mainstream of "modern" Japanese "traditional" paintings did deviate from such humor and intellect, and, at the same time, lost the skill to draw dynamic (sometimes mob) scenes.

Religious Figures

Sukeroku v.s. Colossus Buddha is in unique composition and with humorous but philosophic theme, showing his ever-novel genius which impressed contemporary Europeans.
Party of Five Holy Men might be regarded impious by fundamentalists, but presents the Japanese spirt of universal value: Concordia 和, which was brewed in Pax Tokugawa and made more open-minded through Meiji westernization.  If Kyosai had travelled in Middle East or India, he would have added Muhammed. The cheer atmosphere of this work is of invaluable meaning in current intolerant crush of isms.

Shouki (Zhong Kui) and evil spirits

The most dynamic expression comes in this section. The too famous Goshawk Chasing Wind God from ex Conder collection and Shouki Kicking Evil Spirit are marvelous.

Courtisan Jigoku-Dayuu and Monk Ikkyuu

For beauties, he made the ideal face of the era.  It might be interesting to compare his works with photographs of geishas in that time.  These works is in a combined style of Kanou school, the academic one, and Utagawa school, then pop-art.  Historically, Kanou school itself emerged as an integration of Chinese style and then-traditional Japanese one, and he is the true successor to Kanou school also in that sense.

Shunga (Funny Erotic Pictures)

There also exhibited are shooing. Kyosai left various footprints in this field, too. The interfering cat on the left scroll is too funny.  

Kanou-school style scrolls

The delicate fine touch in Kanou style remind you that Kyosai was appointed by the last of one Kanou lineage as the heir to the art.

Ghost scroll and its design from ex Fukutomi Tarou Collection 

Many works formerly in ex Fukutomi Tarou collection had left for Mr. Goldman.  He seems to have been destined to collect Kyosai's works and realized his own fate through the first step: bidding for a portrait of Darma at a small auction in London.  He is a true connoisseur.