Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Artistic Journey of Yasuo Kuniyoshi
April 3, 2015 – August 30, 2015
Some 70 paintings and drawings by Japanese-born artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889-1953) reveal his distinctive modern figural style, original subjects, and humor and show the evolution of his art from innocence to complexity and disillusionment. Kuniyoshi came to the United States as a teenager and was thoroughly integrated into American life; however, immigration laws prevented him from becoming an American citizen. Despite his classification as an "enemy alien" after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he remained steadfastly loyal to his adopted country during World War II. After the war, his art depicted bitter subjects in paradoxically bright colors.
Catalogue
Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Strong Woman and Child, 1925
