Gyokuju Funada: Essence of Contemporary Japanese Painting

" The Essence of Contemporary Japanese Painting: The Work of Gyokuju Funada "

Gyokuju Funada’s creative richness can be seen in every one of his works. His pine trees, executed on silk, reveal his mastery of capturing the subject as well as his meticulous brushwork. His scattered flowers, drawn as if dancing on a fan, persuade us of the logic of composition. The freedom and color of his glass painting exude joy in the application of color. Here are the embodiments of transmission through representation, a skill honed in the traditions of Japanese paintings “Nihonga”, and then passed on through Gyoshu Hayami and Kokei Kobayashi. Funada’s early Rain of Kuhombutsu Temple evolved over the years into large-scale screen paintings, each with an intrepid yet delicate touch of the brush. All of this enables the viewer to enjoy these paintings to the full. Dazzling and gorgeous, splendid and bold, they demonstrate, through their overwhelming presence, the essence of contemporary Nihonga, which flourished within this fertile archipelago, so varied in its soils and water. Funada’s life was entirely consumed by painting. It is perhaps a little astonishing that in his later years his work became even more elegant and cheerful. I know of only one other artist for whom this is true: Tessai Tomioka.

Gyokuju Funada’s landscapes create unique atmospheres. The temple drawn in Rain of Kuhombutsu reveals the artist's internal enlightenment. His later screen paintings, whether representing forests of plum or cherry, or snow scenes, reflect the gorgeous artifact of his thought running through his brain like a storm.

Fram Kitagawa / Art Director