Sosuke Morimoto and Nobuyuki Shimamura are two artists whose works have been in the collection of the Hoki Museum since its establishment.

Thinly painted flat surfaces, gentle landscapes, and softly lit portraits… The two artists have many things in common, but when you look at their works, you sometimes feel a strange sensation of being enveloped by the silence around you, as if you have entered a quiet space.

The title of this exhibition is “Serene,” based on a story that Sosuke Morimoto was once told by a friend who described his works as “serene paintings. We are pleased to present works by two artists whose works evoke a sense of “serenity” in Gallery 1.

We invite you to come face to face with the works and feel the “Serene Paintings”.

About Sousuke Morimoto：

It was the realistic paintings of Sosuke Morimoto that inspired Hoki Museum founder Masao Hoki to start a collection of realistic paintings.
One of the main characteristics of Morimoto’s work is its coloring. In the past, Morimoto once said, “My eyes have sepia lenses, and everything I see seems to have the sepia tones I like. True to his words, his portraits, still lifes, and landscapes all have a mysterious sepia tone, as if filtered through a sepia beige filter, but with a sense of their own unique color.
Sosuke Morimoto said that he used to listen to classical music while he painted, and sometimes played the piano himself.

About Nobuyuki Shimamura：

Nobuyuki Shimamura emphasizes the depiction of “light” in his works, and although his portraits are particularly popular, he also paints works modeled on lobsters and insects in addition to portraits. His powerful paintings of crustaceans, which are a sharp contrast to the soft appearance of his female portraits, were very surprising to fans and galleries alike when they were first exhibited. In fact, Nobuyuki Shimamura breeds insects, and stag beetles and rhinoceros beetles are quite familiar motifs according to him.
Among the exhibited works, “Gaia” and “Wish” were created by incorporating his experience of painting powerful works such as insects and lobsters. The screens that appear to be black and white are actually painted in gray, a mixture of various colors, giving the works a sense of life as well as the serenity of black and white.

Special Artworks：Nobuyuki Shimamura「夢の箱Ⅱ」Gallery 8

The Hoki Museum of Art has a special exhibition room, Gallery 8 “My Masterpieces,” where every three years, an artist is asked to paint a work that will become his or her masterpiece. We are pleased to present this work as a special exhibit by courtesy of the bereaved family. This work, like the other “My Masterpiece” works, will be on permanent display in Gallery 8 until November 2026.

Special Artworks：Tadahiko Nakayama Gallery 6

Gallery 6 will continue to exhibit works by Tadahiko Nakayama, who passed away in September 2024.
Artworks《花飾りの帽子》《トルコブルーの襟飾り》《燭台のある部屋》《壁掛けのある部屋》