Rendering Light Reflected on Motifs with Meticulous Detail, Evoking an Overwhelming Presence

Born in Tokyo in 1928, Kaoru Ueda graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. After initially exhibiting works influenced by Art Informel (abstract painting), he began focusing on realist painting from the 1970s. In 1975, he received the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art Award at the 11th Contemporary Art Exhibition of Japan and the Excellence Award at the 10th Japan Art Festival. He also served as a university professor in the 1980s.

His works are so well-known that they are featured in junior high and high school textbooks as examples of superrealist painting. The meticulous depiction of light and interior scenes reflected on motifs such as raw eggs and spoons imbues his art with an overwhelming individuality and presence that captivates viewers. It has been approximately half a century since Ueda began his artistic journey, and he continues to create energetically even now at the age of 90.

To commemorate the publication of Ueda's art collection, the "Kaoru Ueda Exhibition: To the limits of human depiction" at Nihonbashi Takashimaya features a selection of works chosen to re-examine Ueda's realism. This is distinct from the pursuit of craft and technique seen in recent realist trends, and also from realism that tends to be overly philosophical or conceptual. The exhibition invites viewers to question "What is real?" and experience the world of Ueda's art, where fleeting moments are captured in paintings.