Exhibition poster showing "Praying for Rain" (1987), one of Kojin Toneyama's Mayan-influenced paintings
"Nature and the Soul: The Journey of Kojin Toneyama" exhibition at the Setagaya Art Museum is a vivid exploration of an artist whose work transcended borders and time, and wove together the spiritual and natural worlds.
Born in 1921 in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, Kojin (1921–1994) was a painter, printmaker, and global wanderer whose fascination with ancient rituals and sacred landscapes shaped his prolific career.
This exhibition is the first major retrospective of his work since his passing, and draws extensively from his studio archives, offering an intimate look at his creative process through a rich array of field sketches, preparatory studies, photos and finished paintings.
Unfortunately for non-Japanese-speakers, the explanatory notes are all in Japanese, so bring some translation tech with you, although, if it's a smartphone, you might get ticked off for taking photos (not allowed at this show!).
The exhibition is structured to reflect Kojin’s lifelong pilgrimage across continents in the search for inspiration, from the ancient pyramids of Mexico to the temple complexes of India and the kofun tumuli of Japan.
The most important part of this journey was his encounter with Mexican art, which started when a large exhibition of Mexican art opened at the Tokyo National Museum in 1955.
The show can be read like a visual diary, capturing not just the physicality of these sites but their emotional and spiritual impact on the artist. His most expressive work is ultimately grounded in meticulous observation, including sketches and rubbings from Maya temples.
Born in 1921 in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, Kojin (1921–1994) was a painter, printmaker, and global wanderer whose fascination with ancient rituals and sacred landscapes shaped his prolific career.
This exhibition is the first major retrospective of his work since his passing, and draws extensively from his studio archives, offering an intimate look at his creative process through a rich array of field sketches, preparatory studies, photos and finished paintings.
Unfortunately for non-Japanese-speakers, the explanatory notes are all in Japanese, so bring some translation tech with you, although, if it's a smartphone, you might get ticked off for taking photos (not allowed at this show!).
The exhibition is structured to reflect Kojin’s lifelong pilgrimage across continents in the search for inspiration, from the ancient pyramids of Mexico to the temple complexes of India and the kofun tumuli of Japan.
The most important part of this journey was his encounter with Mexican art, which started when a large exhibition of Mexican art opened at the Tokyo National Museum in 1955.
One of the rubbings of a Maya relief featured in the exhibition
The show can be read like a visual diary, capturing not just the physicality of these sites but their emotional and spiritual impact on the artist. His most expressive work is ultimately grounded in meticulous observation, including sketches and rubbings from Maya temples.
With a palette that ranges from earthy ochres and deep greens to unexpected bursts of cosmic blue and fiery red, Toneyama was able to create large works that bridge the gap between observation and imagination and vividly dominate their spaces. I suspect one problem the curators had was to avoid the paintings "fighting" too much with one another.
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One problem of Toneyama's ascent into an increasingly rarefied abstract art is a feeling that he is "punching" the same spot and thereby falling into repetition. This is something the artist himself seemed aware of, with attempts to recrystalise and diversify his art around new motifs, including the poetic figure of Don Quixote that haunts some of his later works.
All-in-all a good opportunity to discover an important figure in Japanese modern art who remains somewhat unknown in the wider world.
Setagaya Museum of Art, Now ~ 9th November
Adults 1400 yen / Seniors (65 and over) 1200 yen
University and high school students 800 yen
Junior high and elementary school students 500 yen
Pre-school children free of charge
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Fiesta, Toneyama Kojin (1977)
All-in-all a good opportunity to discover an important figure in Japanese modern art who remains somewhat unknown in the wider world.
One of the items of Mexican folk art that inspired Toneyama
Setagaya Museum of Art, Now ~ 9th November
Adults 1400 yen / Seniors (65 and over) 1200 yen
University and high school students 800 yen
Junior high and elementary school students 500 yen
Pre-school children free of charge
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