Hayashi Takeshi
Year unknown
Pastels
From Mr. I’s Collection
Hayashi Takeshi
1896-1975
Born in Tokyo. Although he was mostly self-taught in painting, he quickly won the Chogyū and Nika Prizes at the prestigious Nika Exhibition. He joined the Enchōkai led by Yorozu Tetsugorō. At the start of the Shōwa era in 1926, he joined the 1930 Society, which claimed to be the most elite association of the time. In 1930, aiming to create oil paintings in the direction of realism, he founded the Dokuritsu Bijutsu Kyōkai (Association of Independent Artists). In 1935 after traveling to Europe, he was inspired to start researching composition methods that incorporated the balanced surface of the painting. In his later years, he made extensive use of black outlines and his paintings were characterized by the use of thick layers of paint to create vibrant colors. During his tenure as a professor at the Tokyo University of Arts, he mentored many artists who went on to be active in the oil-painting world.