Painting Women Not Dolls

Bathing Women, 1938

I bought myself a postcard-sized print of Bathing Women to adorn my tiny Tokyo bathroom.  I then proceeded to google the artist…

Ogura Yuki

Living to the age of 105, Ogura Yuki (1895-2000) transformed traditional nihonga (literally “Japanese-style”) art into a more modern style. The first female member of the Japan Fine Arts Academy, she is also one of the few women artists to be recgonized for her portrayals of bijinga (“beautiful women”).

Sometimes I find classical Japanese art to be beautiful but rather two-dimensional, with women posed strangely to look more elegant.  In Ogura’s work, on the other hand, quotidian, even mundane, scenes feel like they were based on real moments.  I like that in Bathing Women, her subjects look human rather than doll-like, and her depiction of the water’s distortions look at once realistic and cartoony.

After Japan opened up to the world in the Meiji Period, nihonga arose as an isolationist reaction to the West’s influence.  However, after WWII, supporting “nationalist ideals” became unpopular and nihonga began to decline.  Ogura technically never swayed from this style, but her works evolved.  Perhaps her perspective as a woman helped her capture the feelings she observed in other women.  Plus, I bet living to be over 100 years old would give you some insight!

Here are some other lovely works by Ogura Yuki…