An exhibition commemorating the 110th anniversary of the birth of Keiko Minami (1911-2004), a copper-plate painter who created lyric works in France in the latter half of the 20th century is held.

Keiko Minami was born in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, and was familiar with painting and poetry since the time in girls’ high school.  After the war, while going to Tokyo to publish her oil paintings, she met Yozo Hamaguchi, who later became a leading copper-plate artist of the 20th century, and learned about the charm of copper-plate prints.  After traveling to France in 1953 and studying printmaking there, she continued to create works with fairy tale-like motifs such as birds, castles, and girls with placid colors.  Her works have been adopted as Christmas cards for UNICEF and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and are still loved by people all over the world now.

This exhibition consists of about 50 works by Keiko Minami from the early stage to the later years, mainly copper-plate prints (works on display will be changed in the latter half of the exhibition from the ones in the first half), and 10 works by Yozo Hamaguchi.  In addition, a number of accessories collected by Keiko Minami are introduced.  Each of the transparent stone necklaces and mysteriously shaped brooches is full of individuality and reflects the artist’s sensibility.

Butterflies and birds flying in the wide sky reminds us the artist herself who continued to produce works in foreign countries.  Please take time to appreciate the lines and colors that continue to comfortably nestle close to modern people.