Laugh Off This Hopeless World: Fukuzawa Ichiro

One of Japan’s most famous surrealist artists, Ichiro Fukuzawa (1898-1992) studied art in Paris for nearly a decade at the height of the French avant garde movement. Upon returning to Japan, the Gunma-born artist introduced his peers to the theories behind surrealism and produced a series of paintings embedded with social criticism. His rebellious nature came at a price as he was oppressed by the government during World War II. After the war, Fukuzaw acontinued to produce large paintings of people from a socio-critical perspective, staying faithful to the surrealist traditions. This exhibition focuses on the relationship between art and society, with 100 works representing Fukuzawa’s views of a post-war society.