This exhibition of botanical art works that have a special focus on edible plants is being held in cooperation with Britain’s Royal Botanical Gardens (the Kew Gardens). The exhibition will showcase botanical art that includes not only vegetables and fruits but also foods that greatly changed the eating habits of the British people, such as coffee, tea, herbs and various spices. The works are accompanied by anecdotes and background information about how the foods came to be incorporated as ingredients for developing delicious foods. There will also be displays of other materials related to food, such as old recipes and ceramics that decorated the people’s dinner tables, thus creating an exhibition that explores British history and culture through botanical art related to the theme of “delicious food.”

The Petit Palais in Geneva, Switzerland, boasts a fine collection of modern French paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The founder, businessman Oscar Ghez, was an avid art collector, and the Petit Palais was born in 1968 when he first exhibited the collection to the public housed in an elegant mansion. The Petit Palais has been closed since the death of Mr. Ghez, but this exhibition composed solely of works from the collection was held for the first time in 30 years in Japan. The exhibition introduced the progression of modern French painting from Impressionism to Neo-Impressionism, Les Nabis, Fauvism, Cubism, and the École de Paris (School of Paris), with a substantial lineup of 65 oil paintings by 38 artists.

This was the first retrospective exhibition held in Japan centering around works by artists Henri Le Sidaner (1862-1939) and Henri Martin (1860-1943), who were active in France from the end of the 19th century to the early 20th century. These two artists established their own styles of painting by incorporating techniques of contemporary expression such as those of Neo-Impressionism and Symbolism, while building on the heritage of Impressionism. They depicted enchanting subjects, idyllic landscapes, and scenes of people close to them and their lives, painted with intimate emotions. Le Sidaner and Martin were core members of the generation that would be called “the last Impressionists,” and while they were close friends, they each sought to express light in their art in ways that were unique to their native regions. For example, Le Sidaner would focus on the soft, hazy light peculiar to northern France, while Martin painted the dazzling light of southern France. Composed of some 75 oil paintings, drawings and lithographs, this exhibition traced the artistic paths of these two artists who developed their own unique worlds of painting spanning the Belle Époque period at the turn of the century.

This was the 10th exhibition of works submitted for the Sompo Museum of Art’s contemporary painting competition, FACE. Known as a "gateway to success" for new and emerging artists, regardless of age or affiliation, this exhibition featured approximately 70 works selected from pieces submitted by artists across Japan, and among these nine are chosen for awards. Enjoy these works that capture the sensibilities of their time through various techniques and motifs. These are works believed to possess true power with the potential to be recognized internationally in the future. An audience award was also presented based on votes submitted by the exhibition visitors.

This exhibition brought together approximately 100 of the recent and new works of 12 artists who received the Grand Prix or Excellent Work Awards in the FACE exhibitions during the three years from 2019 to 2021. In addition, this exhibition displayed the works that were awarded the Grand Prix and became works of the Sompo Museum of Art’s permanent collection. By doing so, this exhibition revealed the true value of works which capture the essence of the times, while exploring how the paintings of the artists have evolved over time.