Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts

Japan’s Shinto influence has long contributed to a sense of reverence for natural objects in the hearts of its people. Since ancient times, artists and spiritualists alike have expressed tremendous veneration for trees, which are believed to house the energy of sacred spirits. Trees that grow tall over the course of many years come to be regarded as deities, to the extent that rituals are often performed prior to the cutting or pruning of these trees. It comes as no surprise, then, that Japanese sculptors would choose wood as a preferred material to form likenesses of holy beings. This exhibition demonstrates a fusion of ideology from Japan’s two predominant religions with a collection of statues of Buddhist idols carved from ancient trees. Focus is placed not only on the works themselves, but also carving techniques and methods used throughout history to shape wooden materials into expressions of divinity.

Wooden Buddhist Statue Exhibition
• Until June 4 • Open: 9:30am–5pm • Closed: Mon (except May 1) • Admission: ¥1,300 • Access: Tennoji & Osaka Abenobashi Stn, 10-min walk • Tel: 06-4301-7285 • osaka-art-museum.jp