Paintings Found In Paris May Be Early Works By Okamoto Taro
NHK has learned that three abstract paintings have been found that are thought to be unknown early works of the late Japanese artist Okamoto Taro. He is known for numerous works, including the "Tower of the Sun" monument and the "Myth of Tomorrow" mural.
Okamoto moved to Paris in 1930 when he was 18. He lived there until the age of 29, when he returned to Japan to escape Nazi Germany's invasion. It was thought that all of his early works were destroyed when his home in Tokyo burned down while he was serving in the army in China.
But a Frenchman residing in Paris notified relevant parties about three abstract paintings featuring fluttering smoke-like illustrations. He said one of them carried the signature "Okamoto Taro" in kanji.
Officials who research and collect Okamoto's works acquired the paintings in February and conducted a detailed analysis.
Following a handwriting appraisal and paint analysis, five experts compared the paintings' techniques and similarities with works by Okamoto.
They concluded it's highly likely the paintings were done by Okamoto while he lived in Paris. They say the works are similar to those in his first collection, "OKAMOTO," but the lines are amateurish so he may have drawn them in his early 20s.
Hirano Akiomi, director of the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum, said the paintings represent Okamoto's starting point and his origins. He described them as extremely important and said their discovery will reshape Okamoto's history.
The paintings are scheduled to be shown to the public in an exhibition that will open on July 23 in Osaka. It will later move to Tokyo and Nagoya.
Among Okamoto's well-known works is the 70-meter tall "Tower of the Sun." It was the iconic symbol of the 1970 World Expo held in Osaka. The monument with three faces stands in the Expo commemorative park even now. Inside the tower is a sculpture called the "Tree of Life," which represents the evolutionary process of creatures.
Another one of his masterpieces, "Myth of Tomorrow," is a huge mural measuring 5.5 meters in height and 30 meters in width. The work expresses the horror and tragedy of nuclear weapons. It depicts burning skeletons and a Japanese fishing boat exposed to radioactive fallout from a US hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific Ocean in 1954. The mural is on permanent display at Tokyo's Shibuya Station.