Left: Chihiro Iwasaki, Children, 1962 Right: Tai Nakatani, Portrait of a Woman, 1942

Left: Chihiro Iwasaki, Children, 1962 Right: Tai Nakatani, Portrait of a Woman, 1942

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Chihiro Iwasaki and Her Teacher, Tai Nakatani

During and after the war, Tai Nakatani was the only artist to watch over Chihiro as she made up her mind to become an artist. She went on to earn renown as a picture book artist and their friendship lasted until her death. In 2022, the exhibition “IWASAKI Chihiro & NAKATANI Tai” was held at the Mie Prefectural Art Museum, marking the first exhibit on the theme of the two artists together. Capitalizing on the in-depth research and studies that were conducted at the time, this exhibit will showcase the works the two artists created during the war, when Chihiro was a student of Nakatani, and the materials they used, along with illustrations for children’s books from the 1950s and oil paintings that they submitted to the same art exhibition. We will also present the unique means of expression that they pursued starting in the 1960s in both their picture books and the art world. We hope you will enjoy experiencing the warm gazes of these two artists that resonate through their work.