Special Exhibitions 2024-25
“Absolute Chairs”
In art, chairs have been imbued with a variety of meanings and symbolism, as symbols of authority, objects that house memories, or extensions of our bodies. Artists have captured diverse meanings behind chairs, and through their works, have brought to light discord and contradictions within society, personal memories, and relationships with others. This exhibition focuses primarily on the various expressions of chairs in works of art ranging from the postwar period to the present day, examining society and the human condition through the familiar presence known as the chair.
February 17 (Saturday), 2024 – May 12 (Sunday)
Adults: 1,300 yen
High school and university students: 1,040 yen
“The 72nd Saitama Prefectural Art Exhibition”
This is the largest public exhibition in the prefecture with a vast number of exhibits. Around 2,000 works will be on display, including selected works chosen by the jury.
Category│Japanese-style Painting, Western-style Painting, Sculpture, Crafts, Calligraphy, Photography
May 29 (Wednesday) – June 20 (Thursday)
Adults: Free
High school and university students: Free
※Admission fee to the MOMAS Collection is half-price during the prefectural exhibition.
“Yoshida Katsuro: Touching Things, Landscapes, and the World”
Katsuro Yoshida (1943-1999) is known to have been an artist central to the Mono-ha (School of Things) movement which emerged in the late 1960s. At the same time, from early on he produced art prints using photographs, and beginning in the mid-1970s, he began to explore painting through drawings depicting fragments of landscapes, transferring objects, and so on. In the 1980s, he created a series of paintings called Heat Haze which abstracted landscapes and bodies, and afterward, energetically produced the Touch series, comprised of drawings made by rubbing graphite with his hands. Unfortunately, he passed away at the age of 55. This exhibition will be our first opportunity to look back on Katsuro Yoshida, a native of Fukaya, Saitama. Retracing his works and materials left behind, we’ll take a closer look at the full picture.
July 13 (Saturday) – September 23 (Monday/Holiday)
Adults: 1,100 yen
High school and university students: 880 yen
“Kazuyo Kinoshita：A Retrospective”
Kazuyo Kinoshita (1939-1994), based in Hyogo, was a leading artist of postwar art in the Kansai region. Since the mid-1960s, while working with the avant-garde art group known as Group “i” that had been formed in Kobe, she used photographs to express the discrepancy between three- and two-dimensional images under themes such as existence, recognition, and space. In 1981, she held a solo exhibition in Germany, and would afterward shift her focus to painting; until her death in 1994, she continued to consistently confront the philosophical question of “what is existence?” This exhibition marks the 30th anniversary of the artist’s death by showcasing masterpieces from her early years to later in life, and presents a complete picture of the artist as the first solo exhibition of her work at an art museum in Japan.
October 12 (Saturday), 2024 – January 13 (Monday/Holiday), 2025
Adults: 1,000 yen
High school and university students: 800 yen
“Eyes on Mexico”
In 1950s Japan, Mexican art was actively introduced through exhibitions and magazines, and many artists were fascinated by its bright colors and powerful formative expressions linked to its ancient civilizations and history of revolution. The museum has been collecting modern and contemporary Mexican art since its opening; this passionate look at Mexican art from the 1950s could be considered to be the museum’s starting point. In this exhibition, we examine how postwar Japan viewed Mexican art, from the footsteps of Japanese artists who were drawn to Mexico, as well as the museum’s collection.
February 1 (Saturday) – May 11 (Sunday)
Adults: 900 yen
High school and university students: 720 yen
Artist project
Artist project #2.08 Matsudaira Rina
Rina Matsudaira (1989-), based in Kyoto, creates figurative paintings rooted in historical facts, stories, and historical figures from early modern Japan, using the materials and techniques of Japanese and Eastern painting as a foundation. Matsudaira’s portraits, based on the theme of “imagining others”, are at times humorous, at times powerful, and promote understanding and empathy for other people who we may never fully understand. This exhibition will primarily introduce new pieces.
February 1 (Saturday) – May 11 (Sunday)
Adults: Free
High school and university students: Free
MOMAS Collection 2024-25
June 8 (Saturday), 2023 – August 25 (Sunday)
“Selection”
We introduce the work of Picasso and other masterpieces from the MOMAS Collection.
“The 100th Anniversary of “Manifeste du surréalisme””
We invite you to the world of Surrealism, based on keywords such as “dreams” and “unconscious”.
August 31 (Saturday) – November 24 (Sunday)
“Selection”
We introduce the work of Signac and other masterpieces from the MOMAS Collection.
“Journey Artists”
We introduce sketches, prints, Japanese paintings and more under the theme of travel.
“Recent Acquisitions”
Newly acquired works in recent years will be introduced.
November 30 (Saturday), 2024 – March 2(Sunday), 2025
“Selection”
We introduce the work of Monet and other masterpieces from the MOMAS Collection.
“Special Feature: Kimura Naomichi”
Enjoy the world of Naomichi Kimura, a sculptor who created humorous pieces using scrap materials.
“Pioneers of Postwar Japanese Art”
In tandem with special exhibition Kazuyo Kinoshita: 30th Anniversary of the Artist’s Death, we will introduce trends in postwar Japanese art, with a focus on artists from the Kansai region.
March 8 (Saturday) – June 1 (Sunday)
“Selection”
We introduce the work of Picasso and other masterpieces from the MOMAS Collection.
“Artists of America”
With the keywords of “movement” and “crossing borders”, we introduce works by artists active in America, from the perspectives of America as a new world or home, and cities as proving grounds for art.