望月桂　自由を扶くひと　展覧会サイト

About the Exhibition

Throughout his life, Mochizuki Katsura (1886–1975) pursued freedom. Today, he may be recognized as a pioneering figure whose work anticipated contemporary art.

Born in present-day Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, Mochizuki studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts), where he came under the influence of artists including Ogihara Morie (Rokuzan). After graduating, rather than pursuing a conventional career as a painter, he opened a small eatery called Hechima in Taishō-era Tokyo. It became a place where anyone could be an artist.

Mochizuki created provocative works employing innovative Futurist techniques and founded the Kokuyōkai (Obsidian Society), which organized radical, independently conceived exhibitions. Its activities extended beyond the visual arts to encompass theatre, music, and manga. The group’s remarkable achievements not only have the potential to reshape our understanding of art history, but also offer new visual perspectives on the literary history and social movements of modern Japan.

After the Second World War, Mochizuki returned to his native region. There, he participated in land reform and taught art at a girls’ high school, continuing his lifelong search for new forms of freedom. Yet because he remained outside the mainstream art establishment, his work was largely overlooked by art history for many years.

The exhibition Mochizuki Katsura: The One Who Underpins Freedom was presented at the Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels in 2025 and will be held in 2026 at the Azumino Art Museum, the Azumino City Archives, and the Rokuzan Art Museum. The works and documents presented in this exhibition are exceptionally important materials. Carefully preserved by Mochizuki’s family over many decades, they have recently been entrusted to Azumino City.

Confronted first by ideological repression and later by war, Mochizuki and his companions struggled to live boldly through an age of profound uncertainty. Their spirit retains the power to reveal unexpected new perspectives on the world around us today.

* The English-language booklet, which includes a special contribution by Adam Szymczyk, is available to borrow at the venue. A PDF version can also be downloaded via the QR code provided at the venue.

Exhibition Information

Dates: July 4 (Sat.)–August 30 (Sun.), 2026

Venue: Azumino Art Museum

Opening hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Last admission is at 4:30 p.m.

　●　On July 11 (Sat.) and August 11 (Tue., national holiday), the museum will remain open until 8:00 p.m. Last admission is at 7:30 p.m.

Closed: Mondays, except July 20; closed on Tuesday, July 21

Admission:

　●　Adults: ¥520
　●　University and high school students: ¥310
　●　Groups of 20 or more:
　　　　○　Adults: ¥410
　　　　○　University and high school students: ¥200

Admission is free for junior high school students and younger, visitors with a disability certificate, and one accompanying caregiver.