The Meditating Beauties of Kimiko Ogiwara

Though very little is known of this independent Japanese artist, her mesmerizing paintings encapsulate the meditative nature of the East yet focus on the human figure, which seems to be a specific feature of the Western worldview.

Fig. 1. .auctions.yahoo.co.jp

Fig. 2. soukaku.co.jp

Fig. 3. Seated female (treat.ceasry.top)

Fig. 4. auctions.yahoo.co.jp

Fig. 5. Seated female (auctions.yahoo.co.jp)

Several Words About the Artist

Kimiko Ogiwara was born in 1947 in Nagano Prefecture. In 1972, she completed her course at the Japanese Painting Department of Aichi Prefectural University of Arts. Her mentor was Tamako Kataoka, an acknowledged nihonga (Eastern style) painter. Only eight years after graduation, Ogiwara exhibited her works at the Central Art Museum in Tokyo and won a Grand Prize at her debut exhibition. At least until 2008, she’s been submitting paintings to group exhibitions in Japan and held many solo shows in different cities. Ogiwara's canvases are sold at auctions and held in private collections. Most paintings uploaded on the web date back to the 1990s.

Fig. 6. Semi-nude (aucview.aucfan.com)

Fig. 7. Seated female (aucview.aucfan.com)

Fig. 8. Foujita, Nude on a bed, 1949 (arthive.com)

Fig. 8a. Foujita, Friends (wikiart.org)

Fig. 9.  Reclining nude (auctions.yahoo.co.jp)

Fig. 9a.

Fig. 9b.

Fig. 10. Nude covering her body with a kimono (auctions.yahoo.co.jp)

Developing Another Manner

The eight-year gap was what Ogiwara probably needed to develop her manner. The soft tones and the shiny aura of the skin of her females much resemble the oil works of Japanese genius Tsuguharu Foujita (fig. 8, 8a) and have nothing in common with the bold colors of her teacher Kataoka, whose paintings resemble a vivid applique. The themes of Ogiwara's works are either flowers, which is closer to the nihonga style, or reclining Japanese females. For the latter subject, the artist uses both European and Asian techniques: in some paintings, the body is depicted in oil against the traditional Japanese background of gold leaf.

Fig. 11. Tomoyuki (auctions.yahoo.co.jp)

Showing the Skin

Looking at these paintings, one may recall the saying of Foujita that he desperately tried to depict "the most beautiful of materials: human skin." Portraying her beauties, Ogiwara masterfully blends the pearl shine with pink areas to create an impression of the living body that is, according to Foujita, under-represented in Japanese art. Yet the same shine on her paintings comes from the silk kimono with traditional patterns. The combination of different tones allows us to touch the untouchable subjects by only looking at them.

Fig. 12. Reclining nude (auctions.yahoo.co.jp)

Fig.13. Reclining nude (auctions.yahoo.co.jpg)

In the extended Premium version of the article more on Ogiwara's distinctive portrayal of faces, the strong influence of the Japanese landscape on her work and more pics of her mesmerizing nudes.

Click HERE for the felines and females in the paintings of Tsuguharu Foujita

Sources: tanabegarou.com; seven-seas.co.jp

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