Contemporary Japanese Metalwork, Ceramics and Paintings at Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary 2020

At this year’s Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, two formidable painters, one from the east and one from the west, deliver a unique approach to bringing such beauty to life on canvas. Capturing the beauty of a woman’s face has enticed an artist’s imagination for generations. From Rembrandt to Picasso, each artist composes their own style when encapsulating the soul of the feminine expression. Ichiro Tsuruta (b. 1954), the respected Bijin-ga (portraits of beautiful women) artist, creates delicate and symbolic Japanese-style portraits of women who transmit a mysterious elegance. Tsuruta’s strikingly colorful paintings of Japanese women evoke both Eastern and Western visions and have attracted a growing audience around the world. His contemporary, on the other hand, New York based Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri (b. 1958) is best known for his photorealistic paintings of distinctive young women in rich and romantic landscapes. While these artists’ styles are worlds apart, their impressions of the feminine beauty are equally and indelibly forged upon the hearts of those who cast their eyes upon their enduring images. 

Since its opening in 2005, Onishi Gallery has featured contemporary Japanese artists who work in a traditional form in range of media, including ceramics, metalwork, lacquer and glass. These artists are united in their common embrace of tradition in the creative process, and they are distinct in their exquisite and diverse modes of expression. Onishi Gallery merges the past with the present through the presentation of historically rich explorations of traditional art forms and ambitious experimentations in new formats.

Many Onishi Gallery artists are represented today in the permanent collections of major museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Several of Onishi Gallery’s artists have also been designated “Living National Treasures” by the government of Japan, and play an important role in passing on their historic creative legacies to younger generations in Japan and to those

abroad. One of these Living National Treasures highlighted in our exhibition at Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary is Japanese contemporary metalwork artist, Osumi Yukie. Osumi, who is the first female artist to be designated a Living National Treasure in her field, specializes in tankin (hammered vessels) and applying the technique of nunomezōgan (textile imprint inlay) in her beautifully fabricated work that depict heavenly clouds to tumultuous seas. 

Onishi Gallery looks forward to welcoming you at their first presentation at Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary at Booth #PB400 from January 9-12, 2020. 

For more information contact: Nana Onishi at 917.214.8108 or nana@onishigallery.com.