‘SHIBATA ZESHIN: JAPANESE MASTERWORKS’ WILL OPEN OCT. 13 IN MINNEAPOLIS

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. — The Minneapolis Institute of Arts will present “The Genius Of Shibata Zeshin: Japanese Masterworks From The Catherine And Thomas Edson Collection,” on view October 13–January 6.

Organized by the San Antonio Museum of Art, this exhibition is the first to examine the work of Shibata Zeshin (1807–91) as both cultural preservationist and technical innovator. Trained as a boy in the art of gold-flecked lacquerware, he gained a reputation as a master lacquer artist by reviving long-forgotten techniques and by integrating many new materials into his designs.

He first studied painting to improve the decorations he applied to his lacquerware, but soon became so adept, the paintings themselves won high praise. Trained in the naturalistic manner of the Shijo School, Zeshin fought to maintain the quality of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. His crowning achievement was to invent a technique that allowed him to paint with lacquer on paper and silk.

A fully illustrated catalog accompanies this exhibition.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is at 2400 Third Avenue South. For information, 612-870-3131 or www.artsmia.org.