Kiyoshi Saito Exhibition at Niseko Arishima Memorial Museum

To welcome travelers from around the world who visit the Niseko region in search of the sweetest snow, this exhibition will introduce the works of Kiyoshi Saito, an artist whose woodblock prints drew inspiration from the snowy landscapes of his childhood.

KIYOSHI SAITO Exhibition
2025 January 11 – February 16（Closed on Mondays）
Arishima Takeo Memorial Museum
Hours　9:00-17:00　（Admission accepted up until 16:30）
Admission　Adults 500yen , High school students and younger Free

“When the world is covered in snow, it is simplified and stripped of the superfluous, enabling us to sense the beauty of nature.” ――Kiyoshi Saito
　
Kiyoshi Saito was born in 1907 in the Fukushima prefecture town of Aizubange. After spending his boyhood in Yubari, he took an apprenticeship in Otaru at age 14 and began painting in his free time. He then left for Tokyo to pursue a career as an artist at the age of 24. In the post-war years, his artwork drew acclaim at home and abroad, making him one of Japan’s most recognized artists. His practice was also responsible for raising the global prominence of modern Japanese woodblock prints.
The exhibition will feature approximately 30 works from the collection of Otaru Art Base, focusing mainly on the “Winter in Aizu” series that was the artist’s life’s work. In addition, it will include pieces inspired by ancient cities like Kyoto and Kamakura, as well as those that depict the feline form.
Concurrent with the above, the museum will also host an exhibition of works by the illustrator Hideyuki Fujikura (1948-), all of which are drawn from the collection of the Arishima Museum. In the 1990’s, Fujikura was highly influenced by Saito’s “Winter in Aizu” series. His works use the hari-e technique of covering superfluous space with paper to depict the Hokkaido landscape. We hope you enjoy the experience of ‘traveling’ across Japan via the landscapes created by these two artists, both of whom have deep ties to Hokkaido.