I took advantage of my Golden Week vacation to visit the Nagano Prefectural Museum of Art to see several works by the master of Japanese painting, Kaii Higashiyama, up close in person rather than in photographs or on the screen.
Since photography is not allowed in the exhibition rooms of the museum, please visit the Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Foundation’s website to learn more about the works. My original main goal, “Green Resonance,” was of course a beautiful and mysterious masterpiece. In addition, “Mountain Spirit” and “The Evening Star” and other works that moved my heart and made for a wonderful viewing experience. I knew it was amazing to see them live.
I am ashamed to say that I learned for the first time that before a large work is completed, many steps are taken to rewrite small studies and rough sketches, and that although they are pre-studies, so beautiful enough to be appreciated. And when the work is completed, it is filled with an energy that is some dimensions different from pre-ones, and the painting emits an aura. I was very moved.
Allowed to take pictures inside the museum (except in the exhibition rooms), let me show you the stylish Nagano Prefectural Museum of Art, designed by Hiroshi Miyazaki in the main building and Yoshio Taniguchi in the annex building. My equipment for this trip was a Lumix G99 and two Panalaika lenses (12-60mm and 8-18mm).
The front of the two buildings connected by a deck is the main building and the other side is Kaii Higashiyama memorial annex.
A pond surrounds the building, and the shadows of the sky, trees, and buildings reflected on the tranquil surface of the water soothe visitors.
I was lucky enough to be there just in time to see this artificial fog roll into the courtyard six times a day.
This fog is also a sculptural work. Fujiko Nakaya “Fog Sculpture“. Oh, the two figures on the left in the photo are visitors, so they are not included in the work, or maybe they are in terms of contemporary art (lol).
The rooftop of the museum is a wide open space, and the large cypress bark roof of the main hall of famous Zenkoji Temple, which is right next to the museum, can be seen.
How could we not come this far and pay a visit to the temple? From here I would like to head towards Zenkoji Temple.
