This exhibition is the second of its kind since the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art reopened its doors to the public in 1995. We are proud to present, once again, a broad spectrum of art works donated to or acquired by the Museum during the four years that have elapsed since the first exhibition in 2000. Included are lacquer works, netsuke, modern prints, ceramics, clothing accessories and other items.
The Museum collection has been augmented in various ways over the years. We purchase modern and traditional Japanese works of art, mainly in the genres that will enrich and sustain the collection, but also in new fields. Some collectors wish to donate their own collections to the Museum. Artists exhibiting, either in solo or in group exhibitions, each present a work to the Museum. Indeed, some Japanese artists who have never been exhibited here also donate works to the collection.
For the first time, we present two works by contemporary artists - Miyamoto Shufu and Morimura Rei - purchased by the Museum in 2003. Until that time, these artists were not represented in the collection, and these purchases have helped to complete our print collection. Miyamoto Shufu was born in Fukuoka in 1950. In 1972 he studied oil painting with the artist Osama Ioka. At the same time he started to create woodblock prints, which he carved and printed with his own hands. His first solo exhibition was held in 1978 in Fukuoka and in Tokyo. Since that time, his works have been exhibited throughout Japan, and in America, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, and England. Morimura Rei was born in Tokyo in 1948. He studied at Tokyo University, and has presented solo exhibitions all over Japan and the United States.
In 2003, Professor Saito Yoshihiro of Hokkaido acquired the work "Arai Seki" by the famous artist Sekino Junichiro (1914-1988) for the Museum. This is one of a series of views of the Tokaido. Sekino was a member of the Sosaku Hanga (creative prints) School, and is considered one of the finest artists of the 20th century. His works deal with a variety of subjects ranging from realism to abstraction. He also taught printmaking at universities in Japan and the United States.
The Museum's collection has also been augmented by gifts and donations from collectors. We are proud to present, for the first time, netsuke from the collection of Daniel and Hilda Lebow of New York. They were given to the Museum in 2003, together with the fine collection of sword fittings that were exhibited earlier this year. We also present prints donated by Mrs. Shulamit Rubinfein of California, ceramics given by Mr. and Mrs. Pucker, owners of the Pucker Gallery in Boston; and Japanese clothing accessories donated by Ms. Matsumura Mitsuko.
Donations from artists who have had solo exhibitions at the Tikotin Museum include: woodblock prints by the contemporary artist Akiyama Iwao ("Owls", 2001); lacquer ware by the contemporary designer Toshiyuki Kita ("Contemporary Japanese Design", 2001); a kimono by the designer Takahashi Genmei ("Kimono Designs", 2001); prints and acrylic works by Matsuzaki Shigeru ("Matsuzaki's Wonderland", 2001). An aluminium mesh sculpture was donated by the sculptress Hishiyama Yuko ("Mesh People", 2000), as was a netsuke by the sculptor Georges Weil ("The Netsuke of Georges Weil", 2002).
In 2002 the Museum presented the group exhibition "50 - Contemporary Japanese Prints" - works by 44 leading Japanese artists, to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties between Japan and Israel. Some of these works, donated through the good offices of the Yoseido Gallery in Tokyo, are also exhibited here. Works by Yabe Makoto, Miyamura Hideaki, Tsuchiya Noriyasu, Shimaoka Tetsuzo and other Japanese artists, that have not been exhibited previously, were donated courtesy of the Pucker Gallery.
Since that first exhibition in 2000 there has been an impressive growth in the size of the collection, so that we are unable to present all of our new acquisitions in a single exhibition. We take this opportunity to offer our grateful thanks to all the contributors and artists who support the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art and enrich its collection.