Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art The special exhibition “Genichiro-Inokuma Exhibition: Arranging Dreams” will open at the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday, December 13th. Feel free to explore In

[Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art] The special exhibition “Genichiro-Inokuma Exhibition: Arranging Dreams” opens at the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday, December 13th. Explore Inokuma’s paintings from your own perspective. ​
Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art Press Release: October 31, 2025 The special exhibition “Genichiro Inokuma: Arranging Dreams” opens on Saturday, December 13th at the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art. Explore Inokuma’s paintings freely from your own perspective. This exhibition introduces the unrestrained paintings of Genichiro Inokuma, a painter who has been painting continuously for over 70 years.
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Genichiro Inokuma, “Portrait Conversation,” 1988 (C) MIMOCA Art Foundation, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Born in Kagawa Prefecture, Genichiro Inokuma (1902-1993) studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and continued to create art in Tokyo. He then studied in Paris from 1938 to 1940, the year before the outbreak of World War II, before returning to Japan. After turning 50, he spent approximately 20 years in New York from 1955 onwards. He then established studios in both Tokyo and Hawaii, where he continued to work until he was 90 years old. His paintings, absorbing the changing times and the environment, evolved from realistic representation to deformed representation, and then to abstraction in New York. However, he remained consistent throughout his life in his commitment to forcefully projecting his own personal style onto the canvas. Inokuma’s later works, neither representational nor abstract, are indicative of the idea that all shapes are composed of interesting and beautiful balances, and he allows these to inhabit the paintings in his own order. He created paintings in which a variety of shapes coexist, regardless of whether they be circles, squares, indescribable shapes, or even living creatures like faces and birds. Inokuma valued the ability to see and accurately portray the shapes of objects. However, the numerous shapes he had accumulated over his long career were painted with a straightforward, free-flowing style unconstrained by conventional wisdom, resulting in works filled with mystery. “I’m just arranging my dreams on a single screen, and I wonder how you’ll feel when you look at this picture.”* This exhibition will feature works created by Inokuma when he was over 80 years old. Please enjoy Inokuma’s unrestrained paintings, which he has been creating for over 70 years. *From “Guen: The Face of Marugame,” a program celebrating the opening of the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (broadcast by Nishinippon Broadcasting, November 17, 1991) 1. Key points of this exhibition
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/142923/11/142923-11-b37561cf1cb6f15009d42a9e1b5a141e-905×1080.jpg Genichiro Inokuma, “Midday Carnival,” 1992 (C) Mimoca Art Foundation 1-1. Introducing “Paintings in which Representational and Abstract Forms Coexist Without Distinction” Inokuma’s career as an artist spanned approximately 70 years, and his style evolved to reflect the times and environments in which he lived. In his later years, he achieved paintings in which a variety of forms coexist, believing that both representational and abstract forms are aggregates, and that all forms are composed of interesting and beautiful balances. This exhibition will introduce works that Inokuma created when he was over 80 years old, in which circles, squares, faces, birds, and other living creatures are depicted without distinction, and in which a variety of shapes coexist.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/142923/11/142923-11-6ae7d52e18a1920ea3099c92dcda07ca-1080×805.jpg Genichiro Inokuma, “Three Words,” 1989 (C) Mimoca Art Foundation 1-2. The viewer discovers something new. Around the age of 88, Inokuma said the following, leaving the viewer free to interpret it as they wish. “I’m simply arranging my dreams on a single canvas, and it’s up to you to see how you feel when you look at this painting.”* Accept the shapes Inokuma paints as they are, find their relationships from your own perspective, consider the composition of the canvas, and discover Inokuma’s work in a new light. This exhibition does not consist of just one exhibition room, but rather a three-dimensional space that expands from the entrance on the first floor to the exhibition rooms on the second and third floors, allowing you to experience Inokuma’s generous world of art. *”Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art Opening Commemorative Program: GUEN: The Face of Marugame” (From Nishinippon Broadcasting, November 17, 1991) 1-3. What the Two Exhibitions Have in Common This exhibition, which focuses on the visual appreciation of Inokuma’s paintings, is being held simultaneously with the special exhibition “Shanet Cardiff: Motet for 40 Voices,” which features sound installations that stimulate the auditory sense. Inokuma’s works allow viewers to discover their own unique form and composition, while Cardiff’s works create sculptural spaces as viewers move freely while listening to the sound. Both have in common the fact that viewers can reconstruct the works in their own imaginations based on the experience they gain from the works, creating a deeper viewing experience. Sharpen your different senses at each of these two exhibitions and enjoy your own unique works. 2.Related programs 2-1. Curator Talk The curator of this exhibition (Madoka Matsumura) will talk to visitors about the highlights of the exhibition in the exhibition room. Dates and Times: Sunday, January 4th, 2026 and Sunday, February 1st, 2026, 2:00 PM each day
Participation Fee: Free (exhibition ticket required), no registration required 2-2. MIMOCA Day for Parents and Children Up to two
accompanying guests may enter for free for each visitor who is a high school student or younger or under the age of 18. Date and Time: Saturday, January 24th and Sunday, January 25th, 2026, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (last entry at 5:30 PM) 3. Exhibiting artist profile
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/142923/11/142923-11-f44de9df9510a9bb14994cdf18da1000-1492×1500.jpg Photographer: Akira Takahashi Genichiro Inokuma Born in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture in 1902. He spent his childhood in Kagawa Prefecture. 1921: Graduated from the former Marugame Junior High School (now Kagawa Prefectural Marugame High School) and moved to Tokyo to study at the Hongo Western Painting Institute. 1922: Entered the Western Painting Department of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts), studying under Takeji Fujishima. 1926: First selected for the 7th Imperial Academy Art Exhibition. From then on, he exhibited every year until 1934, repeatedly winning special selections. 1927: Dropped out of Tokyo School of Fine Arts. 1935: Organized a second committee with volunteers who had opposed the Shinteiten Exhibition and made a pact not to exhibit, and exhibited at the first exhibition. 1936: Founded the Shinseisakuha Association (now the Shinseisaku Association) with peers of his generation, which became his venue for exhibiting thereafter. 1938: Traveled to France and established an atelier in Paris (until 1940). While in France, he studied under Henri Matisse. 1950: Designed Mitsukoshi’s wrapping paper, “Hana Hiraku.” 1951: Created the large mural “Freedom” at JNR Ueno Station (now JR East Ueno Station). 1955: Moved to the United States and established a studio in New York. The traces of figurative art disappeared, and he produced numerous geometric works centered on straight lines and circles. 1975: Closed his New York studio and returned to Tokyo. He began working in Hawaii in the winter. He created works filled with complex, amorphous shapes in vivid colors. 1988: Lost his wife, Fumiko. Faces and animals also appeared in his works, and diverse shapes began to coexist. 1989: Donated 1,000 works to Marugame City. 1991: Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art opened. He passed away at the age of 90. Passed away in 1993 at the age of 90. Event Overview Exhibition Title: Genichiro Inokuma Exhibition: Arranging Dreams Venue: Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art Address: 80-1 Hamamachi, Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture Dates: Saturday, December 13, 2025 – Sunday, February 15, 2026 Opening Hours: 10:00-18:00 (last entry at 17:30) Closed: Mondays (open on January 12, 2026), Thursday, December 25, 2025 – Wednesday, December 31, 2025 Tuesday, January 13, 2026 Admission Fee: ¥1,500 (Group Discount ¥1,200, City Discount ¥900) University Students ¥1,000 (Group Discount ¥800, City Discount ¥600) Free admission for high school students and younger, those under 18, those 65 and older living in Marugame City, and persons with disabilities and one accompanying caregiver. *Includes admission to the concurrent special exhibition “Janet Cardiff: Motets for 40 Voices” and the permanent exhibition “Genichiro Inokuma: Objects.” *Group discounts are available to groups of 20 or more. *Citizen discounts are available to Marugame residents. Proof of identity (driver’s license, health insurance card, etc.) must be presented when purchasing tickets. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts, including group discounts. Contact: 0877-24-7755 Organizers: Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art, MIMOCA Art Foundation About the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/142923/11/142923-11-6966d3d5f336767c0f101fbbb814eb6f-1616×1078.jpg Photography: Yoshiro Masuda The Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (nicknamed MIMOCA) opened on November 23, 1991, as a commemorative project for the 90th anniversary of Marugame City’s incorporation, with the full cooperation of Genichiro-Inokuma, a painter with ties to Marugame City. This beautiful building, designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi and located in front of Marugame Station, houses approximately 20,000 works by Inokuma, donated by him himself. These works are displayed in a permanent exhibition, and the museum also hosts special exhibitions, primarily of contemporary art. The museum also actively promotes educational activities, hosting a diverse range of programs, including lectures and concerts, as well as workshops to foster children’s sensibilities and creativity. These distinctive features were developed through extensive discussions between Inokuma and the city of Marugame. Inokuma strongly desired that MIMOCA be a “contemporary art museum” that would always proactively introduce new works. The bright, spacious space, filled with natural light, was designed by Taniguchi, who shared Inokuma’s desire for a beautiful museum space. Inokuma also placed importance on children being exposed to beauty, proposing such things as free admission for children and the establishment of a “sculpture studio” where children could engage in creative activities. Inokuma wanted the museum to be a place where people could drop in casually, view great artworks in a beautiful space, receive fresh stimulation and feel refreshed, and he left behind the words “an art museum is a hospital for the soul” to describe what MIMOCA should be. It would be our great pleasure if MIMOCA, which embodies Inokuma’s vision, becomes your “hospital for the soul.” Access ​ For more
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