MAETA KANJI — Poesy and Realism: In Commemoration of his 130th Birth and the Centennial of the 1930 Society

Major Retrospective Exhibition for the First Time in 18 Years

Despite passing away at the age of 33, Maeta Kanji (1896–1930) left a significant mark on modern Western-style painting in Japan. He pursued a fusion of poetic sensibility and realism, rooted in the traditions of Western-style painting, and created art that took many different forms. To celebrate the 130th anniversary of Maeta’s birth and the 100th anniversary of the 1930 Society, of which he was a founding member, this exhibition explores the evolution of his prolific artistic career. It also features works by his 1930 Society colleagues, offering a closer look at the significance of Maeta’s art.

Maeta Kanji: The Young Warrior of the Western-Style Art World

Maeta Kanji graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1921, and that same year, his work Flowers and Children was selected for the Imperial Art Exhibition. In November of the following year, he traveled to France, where he stayed for about two and a half years. While calmly surveying French painting from the modern era onward, he studied Gustave Courbet, Dominique Ingres, and Édouard Manet, aspiring to establish his own style of painting and philosophy. Influenced by his friend Kazuo Fukumoto, a Marxist theorist, he developed his own theory of art and began depicting the figures of workers. Upon returning to Japan in 1925, his work Portrait of Miss J. C. received a Special Selection award at the Imperial Art Exhibition, and he continued to win numerous awards thereafter. In 1926, he formed the 1930 Society with colleagues from his time in Paris, and as a central figure in the group, he presented experimental works. In 1928, he founded the Institution to mentor younger artists, developed his theories on painting through contributions to art magazines and lectures, and created works imbued with poetic sensibility. He passed away in 1930 at the young age of 33, but his achievements were such that he rightfully earned a place in the history of modern Western-style painting.

Poesy

While attending the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Maeta Kanji wrote in his notebook, “A painting is a poem” (January 1922). It is said that throughout his life, he told those around him, “A painting without poetry is worthless” and “When poetry disappears, a painting withers.” With the motto “Deepening through the act of painting,” he undoubtedly continued to create his works in search of poetry within them.

Realism

Maeta Kanji was among the first artists to depict modern society, creating masterpieces such as Family of a Master Carpenter. Maeta argued that the three fundamental elements of realism are 'texture', 'sense of volume', and 'sense of reality'. Instead of merely producing paintings that faithfully reproduced his subjects, he aimed to explore and express something that transcended mere representation.

“Beauty changes. That is the truth.”

＊His quote in Bi no Kuni, September 1927

Maeta believed that “grasping the beauty of the coming age is something young people must acquire, even at the cost of their lives.” During his final year studying in Paris, he painted works such as Woman in Black and Reclining Nude, using local models, which could be considered the culmination of his time abroad. Even after returning to Japan, he continued to produce nude paintings and portraits of women featuring Japanese models, each with a distinct impression. His prolific output seemed to reflect his unceasing creative drive.

Maeta Kanji and his fellow artists: Featuring works from the 1930 Society

In 1926, Maeta Kanji founded the 1930 Society, an art group dedicated to creating a new style of oil painting in Japan. He established the group alongside four fellow young painters - Satomi Katsuzo, Kojima Zentaro, Saeki Yuzo and Kinoshita Takanori - with whom he had shared the artistic atmosphere of Paris. Following Maeta’s death in 1930, the association transitioned into the Independent Art Association, garnering attention as a force of the new era and standing in opposition to the Imperial Art Exhibition and the Nika Exhibition, where outdated painting styles had prevailed. The 1930 Society was an indispensable group in the history of modern Western-style painting in Japan.