Sesson: A Singular Painter

Miho Museum

Image: Sesson

This event has ended.

Sesson was born into a military class family in Hitachi province (his birthplace is today Hitachi-Omiya city, Ibaraki prefecture). He entered the Buddhist priesthood at an early age and set out to become a painter. After working in Aizu, Fukushima, Sesson visited Odawara and Kamakura, where he encountered renowned priests and painting masterpieces. All of these experiences contributed to his development of a unique style and expression. From around his mid 60s through to his death in his late 80s, Sesson lived in Aizu and Miharu (present-day Miharu-machi, Fukushima prefecture), continuing to create great works. 　
Sesson’s images of people - which some consider to be predecessors to Itô Jakuchû, Soga Shôhaku and other Edo period eccentric painters - feature bold compositions and unique forms that can’t help but move their viewer. His landscapes, on the other hand, focus on carefully drawn images of wind, waves and trees, all details replete with Sesson’s own singular worldview.
This major retrospective presents approximately 100 important works from Sesson’s oeuvre, including many from overseas collections, along with approximately 30 works by later artists, such as Ogata Kôrin and Hôgai Kanô, who were fascinated by Sesson’s depicted energy and imagery.Visitors to the exhibition are sure to enjoy their encounters with the essence of Sesson’s artistry found in each of the displayed works.

[Related Event]
Kids’s Atelier Workshop (For Elementary School Children)
Date: Aug.11 (Fri/hol) From 13:30-16:00
Admission: ¥500

Lecture (Japanese only)
Date: Aug.12 (Sat) From 14:00-15:00