What comes to mind when you think of the Ohara Museum of Art?
As Japan’s first private museum focused on Western art, it may be best known for Western paintings by artists such as Monet, El Greco, Gauguin, and Picasso.
But there’s much more to the Ohara Museum of Art!
The Ohara Museum of Art Annex exhibits modern Japanese Western-style paintings and contemporary art. Its diverse collection reflects the Ohara Museum of Art’s enduring commitment to art.
The Ohara Museum of Art Annex closed as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and is scheduled to remain closed for an extended period for major renovations.
Some works can be viewed at the Main Building, but this article will give you a sense of the Annex’s atmosphere when it was open and what makes it special.
Photography is normally prohibited inside the Ohara Museum of Art. Special permission was granted for these photographs.
The information in this article was current when it was published in April 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About the Ohara Museum of Art Annex
Founded in 1930, the Ohara Museum of Art expanded after the war and now consists of the Main Building, the Annex, and the Crafts and Oriental Art Gallery.
The Annex was designed by Kurashiki-born architect Urabe Shizutaro and added in 1961. It now exhibits modern Japanese Western-style paintings and contemporary art.
In 2003, it was selected for DOCOMOMO JAPAN’s “100 Selections: Modern Movement Architecture in Japan”.
History of the Ohara Museum of Art Annex
During the Meiji and Taisho periods, when it was difficult to see authentic Western paintings in Japan, businessman Ohara Magosaburo supported painter Kojima Torajiro in collecting paintings for the benefit of Japan’s art world.
The Ohara Museum of Art was opened to display the works collected at that time.
The Ohara Museum of Art Annex was built during the time of Ohara Magosaburo’s son, Ohara Soichiro.
At the time, the Ohara Museum of Art apparently did not attract many visitors. However, Soichiro believed that “a museum should not be a stagnant storehouse-like display space, but must always be alive and growing,” and he worked enthusiastically to expand the collection.
Alongside Western paintings, he also collected works by modern Japanese artists.
Many works by famous artists are in the collection, but they were not chosen simply because their creators were famous. Soichiro and people he trusted selected works they believed “should be preserved by the Ohara Museum of Art.”
The present-day Annex was added in 1961 as a place to exhibit modern Japanese paintings.
The basement galleries were added after Soichiro’s death.
Today, the Annex mainly exhibits modern and contemporary works.
Structure of the Ohara Museum of Art Annex
When we visited in April 2019, the galleries were broadly arranged by period.
- Garden: Sculptures
- East-side galleries in the Annex: Works by modern Japanese artists
- West-side galleries in the Annex: Mainly works by Japanese artists from after the war
- Basement galleries on the first basement floor: More recent works
Sculptures by Rodin, Moore, and Isamu Noguchi line the garden, as if welcoming visitors.
In the east-side galleries, which house works by modern Japanese artists, visitors can see paintings and sculptures by artists known as “leading figures in modern Japanese Western-style painting,” including Sekine Shoji, Yasui Sotaro, and Aoki Shigeru.
There is a certain shared atmosphere that reflects the characteristics of Japanese artists of this period. At the same time, each artist’s individuality comes through; even the ways they draw facial outlines vary widely.
My personal impression was that “many of the works seem to have a humid atmosphere.”
The west-side galleries feature works representative of postwar contemporary art.
The works are more abstract, and many are intriguing pieces that make you wonder, “What is this?”
The basement galleries feature more contemporary works. Three-dimensional pieces also catch the eye, including a motorcycle assembled from scrap materials and a large object made of wood and ash.
The photographs by Ninagawa Mika were on loan when we visited, but apparently had been on display until recently.
Features of the Ohara Museum of Art Annex: Supporting Artists
The Ohara Museum of Art believes it has a mission to support and promote new creative endeavors, and carries out a range of activities to support artists.
Another feature of the Annex is that visitors can see works closely connected to these support programs.
The museum’s founder, Magosaburo, supported talented artists and collected paintings with Torajiro to help advance Japan’s art world. Soichiro carried on that vision and helped the museum grow.
Even today, one can feel that its sense of mission as a “museum that moves with the times” and its commitment to contributing to society have been passed down through the generations.
Here is a brief introduction to the Ohara Museum of Art’s artist-support programs.
ARKO (Artist in Residence Kurashiki, Ohara)
ARKO (Artist in Residence Kurashiki, Ohara) is an artist-in-residence program run by the Ohara Museum of Art since 2005.
An “artist-in-residence program” supports artists by allowing them to stay in a different cultural environment for a set period and pursue their creative work.
ARKO provides production costs, accommodation, and living expenses during the residency, creating an environment where emerging artists can focus on their work.
Artists create works over three months in a spacious studio designed by Kojima Torajiro, and their work is then exhibited at the Ohara Museum of Art.
AM Kurashiki (Artist Meets Kurashiki)
AM Kurashiki (Artist Meets Kurashiki) is a program in which artists create works inspired by their encounters with Kurashiki and present them to the public. It has been running since 2007.
For example, in 2016, a video about the Ohara Museum of Art was released by Inoue Ryo, who writes, composes, sings, and animates the NHK program “Bijutune!” all by himself.
The program supports artists and contributes to the local community.
VOCA (Vision of Contemporary Art) Exhibition: Ohara Museum of Art Prize
The VOCA Exhibition, which has been held since 1994, focuses on two-dimensional works and is a major stepping stone for emerging artists.
Since 2005, the Ohara Museum of Art has independently selected one recipient of its prize each year and purchased the winning work.
Highlights of the Ohara Museum of Art Annex: Artworks
Here are some works that particularly caught my attention.
Some works cannot be shown in photographs due to copyright restrictions. Thank you for your understanding.
Kishida Ryusei: “Dancing Girl” (commonly known as “Portrait of Reiko”)
This may be the Annex’s most famous painting. It depicts the artist’s daughter Reiko, who was 10 years old at the time.
Kishida Ryusei created several works featuring Reiko, collectively known as “Portraits of Reiko.”
Her somewhat frightening face makes a powerful impression!
He sought a “derori” quality—raw, insistent, and grotesque.
Incidentally, photographs of Reiko show a cute little girl who does not look exactly like the painting. The portrait expresses the artist’s aesthetic vision.
Kumagai Morikazu: “The Day the Sun Died”
He painted this work after taking up his brush when his son died.
The rough strokes seem to pour out his pain, sadness, and love, and looking at the painting made my heart ache.
Kusama Yayoi: “Untitled (No.RED.Z.A.)”
This is an oil painting from the early years of Kusama Yayoi, famous for her polka-dot “Pumpkins.”
A dense pattern of bright red mesh covers the canvas.
I felt, “It’s a little frightening, but I can’t look away—it draws me in.”
Aoki Noe: “Falling Things / Kurashiki”
Seen through the window on the stairs leading down to the basement is a sculpture made of welded iron.
Despite its iron material, the work is characterized by a sense of lightness.
The work was first exhibited indoors at Yurin-so Villa in 2013. It was adapted to suit the Annex’s exhibition space and installed here.
It blends so beautifully with the space that you might imagine it had been there since the Annex first opened.
Kawakubo Joy: “If the Light of a Thousand Suns Were to Burst Forth at Once in the Sky”
Winner of the Ohara Museum of Art Prize at the 2015 VOCA Exhibition.
This large work, 3 meters high and 2.4 meters wide, features a beautiful orange gradient.
It is actually a photographic work made by burying silver-halide film in the ground in evacuation zones and other areas of Fukushima Prefecture, retrieving it several months later, and developing it.
Matsui Erina: “Upa’s Drooling”
This work was exhibited as part of AM Kurashiki (Artist Meets Kurashiki).
Matsui Erina is an artist from Kurashiki City. As it happens, she was one grade ahead of me in high school.
Inspired by Monet’s “Water Lilies,” an axolotl—a recurring figure in her work—pokes its head out of the water lily pond.
“What if the water lily pond were actually axolotl drool!?” It’s a fun thought!
I was impressed both by Matsui’s freewheeling imagination and by the Ohara Museum of Art’s open-mindedness in embracing it.
From the Writer
The Ohara Museum of Art Annex displays a diverse range of works from the modern era to the present day.
At its heart is the desire, passed down from its founder Magosaburo’s time, to create places where people can encounter art and to support those who create it.
Intriguing things, sad things, mysterious things. What did the artists see and feel, and what were they thinking as they created their works?
The museum displays a variety of works that let visitors experience the joy of encountering art.
I first visited the Annex on my third visit to the Ohara Museum of Art. Until then, I had only seen the Main Building.
And I clearly remember deeply regretting it, thinking, “The Annex is so good! What a waste that I hadn’t visited before!”
Be sure to visit it along with the Main Building, the Craft and Oriental Art Gallery, and the museum shop.
You’ll feel the Ohara Museum of Art’s commitment to standing alongside artists and visitors alike, a commitment it has upheld continuously from its founding to the present day.
- Model: Isako
Articles about the Ohara Museum of Art
Ohara Museum of Art Information
| Name | Ohara Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1-15 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0005 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening hours | [December–February] 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (last admission: 2:30 p.m.) [March–November] 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (last admission: 4:30 p.m.) |
| Closed | Mondays Open when a Monday falls on a public holiday or substitute holiday Closed during the winter; occasional temporary closures |
| Admission (tax included) | [General admission] Adults: ¥2,000 High school, junior high school, and elementary school students (under 18): ¥500 |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available Reservations are not required for individuals |
| Smoking | Entirely smoke-free |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets, accessible toilets |
| Childcare facilities | Nursing room, diaper-changing tables, stroller rental Nursing room in the Crafts Gallery Diaper-changing tables on the second floor of the Main Building and in the Crafts Gallery |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair rental, ramps, accessible toilets, elevator |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art Official Website |
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