Kokei Kobayashi
Japanese style painter
KOBAYASHI KOIKI
Biography
1883: Born in Niigata Prefecture. His real name was Shigeru.
1899: Moved to Tokyo and studied under Kajita Hanko.
1914: Participated in the revival of the Japan Art Institute. Became a central artist.
1944: Became a professor at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (now Tokyo University of the Arts).
1950: Awarded the Order of Culture.
1957: Died at the age of 74.
Evaluation of the artist
A clear and elegant style: characterized by refined, lean line drawings and elegant, subdued colors. He has been described as “clear,” “neat,” and "elegant.
Innovation based on classical studies: He deeply researched classical Japanese and Chinese paintings, and incorporated their techniques and spirituality into his own work, establishing modern Japanese-style painting.
Fusion of realism and decorativeness: He skillfully combined realism, which accurately captures the subject matter, with decorativeness, which beautifully composes the picture plane.
A master of the Japanese painting world: He is highly regarded as one of the most representative painters of modern Japanese painting. His line drawings, in particular, are unparalleled in beauty.
Influence on younger generations: As a professor at the Tokyo Fine Arts School, he trained many younger artists, and his painting style and artistic vision greatly influenced later Japanese painters.
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