Fukuda Kodōjin, Japanese, 1865-1944, Landscape after Mi Fu (detail), April 1918, Ink and color on silk, The Suzanne S. Roberts Fund for Asian Art 2012.71.3

Fukuda Kodojin: Japan’s Great Poet and Landscape Artist
Opens at Minneapolis Institute of Art

April 22-July 23, 2023

The exhibition is the first comprehensive retrospective of the work of Fukuda Kodojin (1865-1944) in the world. Kodōjin was among a handful of scholar-artists who continued the tradition of literati painting (nanga) after 1900. His painting style is characterized by bizarre mountain forms rendered in vivid color or monochromatic ink that often include a solitary scholar enjoying the expansive beauty of nature. In addition to painting, Kodōjin was also an accomplished poet and calligrapher with deep knowledge of Chinese literature. In the late 1920s, a group of prominent admirers that included the then-prime minister of Japan, members of parliament, industrialists, scholars, and educators created a society to honor Kodōjin and his poetry and paintings. However, following his death, the artist slipped into obscurity. Today his unique and unconventional style is better appreciated in the United States and Europe.

The exhibition, curated by Andreas Marks, PhD, Mary Griggs Burke Curator and Head of Japanese and Korean Art at Mia, is the culmination of 15 years of scholarly research and includes more than 50 paintings. Highlighting Kodōjin’s versatility, the paintings range from simple abstraction to highly detailed landscapes. This is a rare chance to see these astounding works and features items from Mia’s collection and loans from Japan, Europe, and the U.S.

Talk: Unveiled: Fukuda Kodōjin, Japan’s Great Poet and Landscape Artist
Sunday, April 23 at 2:00 pm
Pillsbury Auditorium

Dr. Andreas Marks, the curator of Fukuda Kodojin: Japan’s Great Poet and Landscape Artist, the result of fifteen years of extensive research into more than eight hundred works, will talk about Kodōjin's life and art.

Purchase tickets here.