"80 Years Since the End of the War: War and Children" (Koriyama City Museum of Art) Report. The True Feelings and Conflicts of Painters Hidden in Their Gaze Upon Children
The Koriyama City Museum of Art exhibition focuses on children during wartime, revealing the artists' inner conflicts through their gaze.Summary
The special exhibition "80 Years Since the End of the War: War and Children" at the Koriyama City Museum of Art focuses on the depiction of children during the war period and their own expressions, marking 80 years since the end of WWII in 1945. Organized chronologically from the 1930s to the late 1940s, the exhibition contrasts early, innocent depictions of childhood with later works reflecting societal anxiety under prolonged conflict. For instance, Yasuo Katsuki's "Water Mirror" (1942) presents an uneasy contrast between a child and withered plants, while works like Nakamichi Imanishi's "Woman Holding a Child" (1943) convey a mother's worry for the future. The exhibition also highlights artistic shifts under militarism, such as Jiro Yoshihara's move from abstraction to figuration, and includes pieces from the "Mugonkan" collection, showcasing the presence of artists lost young in the war.
(Source：美術手帖)