Moments to Fly Up: Ikeda Masuo and the Demokrato Artists [Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art]

Ikeda Masuo (1934ー1997) was born in Mukden, former Manchuria, and moved back to Nagano with his parents at the end of the war. After graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo to become a painter, and through Ay-O, he met Ei-Q, who led the Democrato (Artists Association), and Kubo Sadajiro, an art critic, leader of the Souzo Biiku Movement, and a collector of prints.

The Democrato (Artists Association) was active mainly in Tokyo and Osaka, and the only condition for participation was "not to exhibit in established art circles, "which attracted many artists who sought freedom in their creations. Ikeda was one of them, and he learned copperplate engraving from Ei-Q and devoted himself to printmaking under Kubo's patronage.

In 1957, Japan, which was recovering its national strength after the war, held the first international contemporary art exhibition, the Tokyo International Print Biennale. Ikeda and other artists from the Democrato group were selected to exhibit their works at the exhibition, and it became a catalyst for their breakthrough, but Ei-Q decided to dissolve the Democrato group. However, the young artists were awakened to the possibilities of printmaking and showed vigorous creative activity, and Ikeda, in particular, won the International Grand Prize in printmaking at the Venice Biennale in 1966 and gained international acclaim.

This exhibition looks back on Japanese prints and paintings that attracted international attention at the time, featuring works from the museum's collection of lkeda's works from the 1950s to 1966, a quarter of a century after his death, as well as works by artists who influenced Ikeda and with whom he was in contact.

Lecture “Mrs. Ikeda Masuju and Art”
Date: January 27, 2024 (Sat) 14:00 - 15:45
Speaker: Yokoyama Katsuhiko (Director, Kure Municipal Museum of Art)
Capacity: 80 people (first-come-first-served basis)

Gallery talk by the director
Date: 2024/2/10 (Sat), 3/2 (Sat) 14:30 - 15:15
Exhibition tickets required, no application required

Art navigation tour (exhibition explanation by art navigator)
Date and time: Every Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays 11:45 - 12:15 ／ 14:45 - 15:15
(Excluding when lectures and gallery talks are held)
Exhibition tickets required, no application required

Collection Exhibition 2023-Ⅱ
Collection Highlights+ Collection Relations [Guest Artists: Komori Haruka+Seo Natsumi]
11/25 (Sat) to 4/7 (Sun)

Open programs
“Reenactment Field” 11/3 (Friday/holiday) to 3/17 (Sun)
“Let's Read Neo Manga” 11/3 (Friday/Holiday) to 3/17 (Sun)