We have a collection of representative works of Murayama Tomoyoshi (1901 - 1977) including "Sadistic Space (1922 - 23),"precious woodblock prints and his edited magazine entitled "MAVO," and has so far exhibited them at our collection gallery.

This first retrospective exhibition of Murayama Tomoyoshi features various activities of this talented artist who is known as the forbearer of the avant-garde movement in Japan.

During his one-year stay in Berlin, Murayama was influenced by the avant-garde movement in Europe. Upon his return to Japan, he introduced this innovative mode of expression to the Japanese art world in the 1920s. The scope of his artistic activities encompassed not only formative arts, but also performing arts such as dance and theatrical activities, as well as illustrations for children's books. In short, Murayama had a great impact on the overall culture in Japan.

This exhibition focuses on Murayama's works in the 1920s, aiming to draw attention to his seething creative energy. Over 700 works and reference materials have been gathered for this exhibition to recreate the "Universe of Murayama Tomoyoshi," and have been organized as follows:

    I. Prologue：1920
    II. Berlin：1922
    III. Seething：1923 - 31
    IV. For the Sake of Children
    V. Murayama's Life