Born in what is now Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture, Shigenori Okada is one of the most famous Japanese-style painters from Toyama. After serving as a student under the late Genso Okuda, a recipient of the Order of Culture, Okada went on to earn awards from such prestigious exhibitions as Nitten and Nisshunten, and today he remains active on the front lines of Japanese painting. His works have received high acclaim for their minutely detailed portrayals of his subjects, expressed through thickly applied, vividly colored mineral pigments, and his characteristic use of shading.
This exhibition of Okada’s work draws from the museum collection, with a focus on iconic works like In the Shade of a Tree and In a Forest that received Special Recognition Awards at Nitten exhibitions, as well as paintings depicting the local scenery of Toyama.
Okada’s works exude a powerful vitality through his colorful, eagle-eyed representations of nature, alongside a warmth and tenderness expressive of the artist’s own humanity.
Brief Background on Shigenori Okada, Japanese-Style Painter
1950 Born in the former Fukuno Town, in present-day Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture
1975 His Flock of Birds was selected for display at the tenth Nisshunten exhibition, a first for Okada; received the Minister of Education Award at the National Prefectural Exhibition Selection Exhibition
1976 Studied under Genso Okuda (1912–2003; Order of Culture recipient)
His Flock of Cormorants was selected for display at the eighth Nitten exhibition, a first for Okada
His work has been exhibited at other Nisshunten and Nitten exhibitions since
1991 Became a member of the Nisshunten committee
2004 Became a member of the Nitten committee
2015 Received the Toyama Prefecture Award for Merit
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Left: In the Shade of a Tree •
Right: In a Forest
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