Contemporary Artist Hiroshi Sugimoto Donates Photographic Byobu to Kasuga Taisha in Nara
Artist Hiroshi Sugimoto presented two photographic folding screens to Kasuga Taisha, to be displayed in the Treasure Hall.Summary
Contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto donated two photographic byobu (folding screens) to Kasuga Taisha in Nara on April 21, 2026. The works were created for the special exhibition "Hiroshi Sugimoto – The Divine Spirits of Kasuga" held at the shrine’s Treasure Hall in 2022‑23. Each screen, printed on washi paper and measuring about 5.65 meters in width, depicts a view of the main hall’s roof (the "Kasuga Grand Palace Dawn Screen") and the full‑bloom of the centuries‑old "Sazuri wisteria" vines (the "Kasuga Shrine Wisteria Screen"). Shrine priest Hanayama-in Hirotaka praised the wisteria’s cloud‑like form, likening it to the "Kasuga Deer Mandala," and vowed to preserve the pieces for a thousand years. The wisteria screen will be on public display in the Treasure Hall from April 25 to May 24.
(Source：朝日新聞)