2024.9.27 「藤田嗣治の愛しきものたち」

2024.9.27 "The Beloved Things of Tsuguharu Foujita"

Special Feature for the 2nd Anniversary of the Museum's Opening: "Those Beloved Things of Tsuguharu Foujita"

  
Self-Portrait, 1928, oil on canvas, Karuizawa Ando Museum of Art

Exhibition Overview

In the 1920s, Tsuguharu Foujita became a celebrity after painting "Milky White Nude". Today, the nudes painted in the milky white color that only Foujita could produce have become synonymous with Foujita. However, Foujita did not continue to paint "Milky White Nude", and his motifs changed with the times.
Foujita painted those who were close to him and comforted him, as well as those close to him whom he loved and cherished. For example, many of his nudes feature Kiki, who was connected to Foujita by a deep friendship, and his third wife Yuki, and his fourth wife Madeleine, who Foujita liked to paint many times. In his desk paintings, Foujita included ink, letter sets, watches, and glasses that he would have used. He began to paint many Madonnas and children after he fled Japan, hurt by the issue of war responsibility. After that, Foujita never returned to Japan, and obtained French citizenship in 1955 and converted to Catholicism in 1959. While he created many works with religious motifs, Foujita, who did not have children, painted the image of an imaginary child on canvas as "the child he most wanted to love." And it goes without saying that cats were always by his side.
This exhibition, entitled "Tsuguharu Foujita's Beloved Things," offers a glimpse into his life through the motifs that he loved and painted at each stage. You may discover the mystery behind the healing and warmth you suddenly feel when you see Foujita's work. We hope that you will be able to experience the love that Foujita put into his work as you enjoy our museum's collection of approximately 200 pieces.

Highlights of the Exhibition

First public showing of Foujita Tsuguharu's Self-Portrait
Foujita Tsuguharu poured his love into the things around him and painted them. This exhibition also focuses on Foujita himself. The main image of this exhibition is a self-portrait, created in 1928 and exhibited for the first time. We will introduce various self-portraits, centering on this work. How did Foujita view himself and how did he paint himself? See the Foujita himself, whom Foujita loved.

The current collection includes approximately 200 pieces.
To celebrate the second anniversary of the museum's opening, this exhibition will have as many works as possible on the theme of "Tsuguharu Foujita's Beloved Things." Works unique to Foujita are displayed on the colorful walls. The only place in the world where you can appreciate Foujita's works in such a luxurious way is at our museum's opening anniversary project. Don't miss this opportunity!

Fujita's private photos and handwritten diary on display
As a special project, we will be exhibiting items entrusted to us by relatives of Fujita's fifth wife, Kimiyo. We will be showcasing private photographs taken at the home in Villiers-le-Bacle where Fujita spent time with Kimiyo in his later years, as well as a handwritten notebook that Fujita wrote in 1939 in Paris during the war. These materials will give us a glimpse into the inner world of Fujita.

Introduction of exhibited works

Fujita and his wife Kimiyo
In the garden of Villiers-le-Bacle, Karuizawa Ando Museum of Art
Fujita stands by Kimiyo
At the Villiers-Le-Bacle home, Karuizawa Ando Museum of Art
Tsuguharu Foujita's handwritten diary (September 1939 - April 1940)