ARTIST DETAILS

Artist

Kobayashi Kokei

Biography

Kobayashi Kokei (1883-1957) was a Japanese painter from the Taisho to Showa period. Born in Niigata, his birth name was Shigeru and he studied under Kajita Hanko. Alongside the likes of Imamura Shiko, Yasuda Yukihiko, and other aspiring painters, he joined the Koji-kai Society and participated in the revival of the Japan Art Institute. He established a simple and sophisticated painting style termed "Neoclassicism", which consolidates realism and ornamental aesthetics. He, alongside Maeda Seison and Yasuda Yukihiko, are described as the "three crows" of the Japan Art Institute. The artist is also a recipient of the prestigious Bunkakunsho (Order of Culture) award.

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