In Japan, many companies, especially manufacturing companies, take a summer break around the Obon festival, a Buddhist event that honors ancestral spirits.
Typical Obon events in Kyoto include the “Daimonji Gozan Okuribi” (Daimonji Bonfire).
By J_o – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=277172
On one of these summer days, I visited the Fukuda Art Museum in Arashiyama, a popular tourist spot recognized outside of Japan, to see a collection exhibition of Takehisa Yumeji’s works, “Takehisa Yumeji – The painter is also a poet and a designer.”
Yumeji was a renowned painter in Japan during the early 1900s. He was also a graphic designer and a writer of poetry and other literature. He is best known for his numerous portraits of beautiful women, and his poetic style, often referred to as “Yumeji-style beauties,” remains popular today.
Moreover, Yumeji fully showcased his talents as a graphic and fashion designer, earning high praise for his book covers, illustrations, and advertising art. He enjoyed unwavering popularity among the masses.
By the way, there’s a deep connection between Takehisa Yumeji and Kogei Art KYOTO, operated by Karafuneya. The founder of Karafuneya, Horio Kohtaro, had a close relationship with Yumeji, who once lived in Kyoto. The name “Karafuneya,” often appearing in Yumeji’s paintings, was adopted as the company name. It’s also speculated that Yumeji designed the Karafuneya logo. While visiting the Fukuda Art Museum, I spotted a postcard piece with the word “Karafuneya” written on it.
The Fukuda Art Museum’s ongoing collection exhibition, “Takehisa Yumeji—The Painter is Also a Poet and a Designer,” will be on display until October 9, 2023.
