The National Museum of Art, Osaka

Pierre Alechinsky, born in Belgium in 1927, specializes in a unique synthesis of Eastern and Western painting styles. He embarked on his artistic career after World War II by getting involved with Cobra, an avant-garde group that championed creative freedom and individualism. He soon discovered Japanese calligraphy in Paris and felt an immediate affinity with its freewheeling style. Upon visiting Japan in 1955, Alechinsky befriended calligrapher Morita Shiryu, and would go on to produce a film on the subject of Japanese calligraphy. The visit inspired Alechinsky to gravitate away from Western oil painting toward a lighter and less restricted style. He used sumi ink, watercolor, and acrylic paint to depict a range of motifs fuelled by experience and imagination. This exhibition consisting of some 80 works is Japan’s first large-scale retrospective of Alechinsky, and also serves as a commemoration of Japan’s 150-year friendship with the country of Belgium.

Pierre Alechinsky Exhibition • Until Apr 9 • Open: 10am–5pm (until 7pm Fri) • Closed: Mon • Admission: ¥900 • Access: Keihan Nakanoshima line, Watanabebashi Stn, Exit 2, 5-min walk • Tel: 06-6447-4680 • nmao.go.jp/en/index.html