Zenzaburo Kojima

Zenzaburo was born in Fukuoka City, Kyushu area in 1893. As a painter he was mostly self-taught but later studied in Europe from 1925-1928. There he visited many museums to learn and absorb the techniques and expressions of both classical and modern masters. After returning to Japan, he sought to perfect a Japanese style of oil painting which was coined “Kojima style". He summarized nature in bold forms and filled the canvas with the life force that overflows from it. He would go on in his later years to sketch the scenery around his studio season by season and whenever he traveled far. He completed paintings of a magnificent larger-scale, and did so with an exuberant touch. He also put a great deal of effort into drawing portraits and flowers, bringing out the life in his subjects and making them vibrant on the canvas. The more than 2,000 works he made during his lifetime attracts many fans to this day. His works are in the collections of many Japanese museums and continue to please adoring audiences. 2023 will mark the 130th anniversary of his birth, and the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art is planning a major exhibition to commemorate his legacy. The late critic Atsuo Imaizumi emphasized at the end of his eulogy for Zenzaburo 60 years ago: "I believe that the day is close when your work will be truly and properly appreciated after your death. I believe that your painting will leave a significant mark as one of the most outstanding artworks of the Showa period in the history of Japanese painting.” I believe we are now witnessing this come true. Zenzaburo has become an artist who is bid regularly in the 20th/21st century section of Christie's Auctions in Hong Kong, and he is seeing more and more popularity in Asia as well.