This exhibition surveys the diverse body of work of Matazo Kayama (1927-2004), who was a standard bearer of Nihonga painting throughout a remarkably active career in the latter half of the 20th century.

Amid the social upheaval of postwar period, some critics dismissive of old-fashioned cultural forms advocated for the disappearance of Nihonga painting. It was during this era that Matazo Kayama embarked on his career as a participant in a creative arts exhibition dedicated to the development of Nihonga with a global perspective. He created numerous unconventional works, incorporating the cave murals of Lascaux, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, cubism, surrealism, and other Western painting techniques, and garnered attention for major stylistic turns each decade. Nor were his creative endeavors limited to Nihonga, with a diverse body of work that encompassed the production of woodblock prints and collaborations with artisans.

This exhibition features his popular works with cats, particularly from his early animal series. Also on display are mountain landscapes that reflect the influence of his teacher Kyujin Yamamoto, plum and cherry blossom paintings that adhere to traditional Japanese painting techniques, and his novel ink paintings that draw on early modern Japanese and Northern Song painting. Visitors can also appreciate examples of the breadth of Kayama's body of work, including ceramics and kimonos created in collaboration with craftspeople.