Japanese Art and Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934)

Japanese Art and Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934)

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The Japanese artist Yumeji Takehisa (1884–1934) entered a sanatorium due to his declining health, where he ultimately passed away. Throughout his life, he created deeply evocative and stunning works of art. Yet, when viewing his pieces—especially with knowledge of his struggles—it’s hard not to feel that “the sadness will last forever.”

Takehisa was artistically influenced by Jugendstil (Art Nouveau), and his worldview reflected a sympathy toward socialism and certain elements of Christianity.

In 1900, his family relocated to Fukuoka (he was born in Okayama Prefecture). There, he briefly worked for a brush-maker—an experience that introduced him to the art of line, which would become the enduring foundation of his artistic style.

The British Museum says, “His most celebrated paintings included the series ‘Nagasaki junikei’ (‘Twelve Views of Nagasaki’, 1920) and ‘Onna judai’ (‘Ten Female Subjects’, 1921). These were water-colours, but he also worked in oils, brush and ink and ‘Nihonga’ techniques.”

Tragically, the final decade of Takehisa’s life was marked by sorrow and disillusionment. The artistic soul of hope was, once again, crushed by the harsh realities of the world. His journey to America and Europe in 1931, undertaken in search of broader recognition, failed to yield the results he had envisioned. Instead, it only reinforced his sense of isolation—confirming that he was “running against the tide,” as his talents remained largely unrecognized abroad. Despite his popularity among ordinary people in Japan, the international acclaim he so deeply longed for continued to elude him.

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