Installation view, Ikuro Yagi: Grand Nature, Ippodo Gallery, Photo by Douglas Dubler

Ikuro Yagi: Grand Nature
Closing Friday, November 22, 2024

This is the final week to experience the premier exhibition of Japanese painter Ikuro Yagi in the United States at Ippodo Gallery.  Spanning works from 1984 to 2009, this overseas debut features over 15 exquisite masterpieces that showcase the breadth of Yagi’s illustrious career. Painted and collaged on traditional Japanese washi paper, wood panels, and canvas, these works weave a universal narrative of nature and city life in Japan through the evocative mediums of sumi ink and nihonga.

At the heart of Yagi’s art lies a profound theme: the quiet, healing power of nature on the human soul—a gentle reminder that boundless kindness is always within reach. As the artist explains, “Sumi ink is not simply carbon; infusion into the washi paper grants us a sense of holding a piece of nature. Perhaps it is the same sort of sensation as strolling amidst the trees.”

Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1955, Yagi continues to innovate within the nihonga tradition from his home near the majestic Mount Fuji. For Yagi, no boundary exists between the man-made and the natural world, a perspective vividly reflected in his work. His artistic journey began under nihonga master Matazo Kayama and Western-style painter Koji Kinutani at Tama Art University, later enriched by his time in Paris. This French influence infused his practice with bold new approaches, blending classical nihonga techniques with depictions of diverse material cultures. Yagi’s vivid portrayals of sea creatures, blooming flowers, and other elements of wilderness pay homage to the decorative traditions of Edo-period nihonga, evoking the era’s opulent interior designs.

Don’t miss this mesmerizing exhibition before it closes on Friday, November 22!

To learn more, click here.