Last updated on 2026-05-01
My impressions after viewing the “Meguro Museum of Art Collection Exhibition: Focusing on New Acquisitions + Keiko Kiyohara’s Copperplate Prints” currently being held at the Meguro Museum of Art in Tokyo.
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Table of contents
Exhibition Overview
- Exhibition Title: “Meguro Museum of Art Collection Exhibition: Focusing on New Acquisitions + Keiko Kiyohara’s Copperplate Engravings”
- Dates: October 11, 2025 (Sat) – November 16, 2025 (Sun)
- Location: Meguro Museum of Art
- Admission Fee: General: 1,000 yen, one free entry with a valid Grutto Pass
- For information about the Gurutto Pass, please refer to the link in the reference information.
This exhibition features works by Keiko Kiyohara, comprised of pieces from the Meguro Museum of Art, the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, the Hachioji Yume Museum, and private collections. All other works are from the Meguro Museum of Art’s collection.
The exhibited works are as follows:
- Lobby: Two works by Yayoi Kusama, “Endless Love Room” and “Infinite Net B”
- Exhibition Room A: Six works by Keizo Tawa
- Exhibition Room B: Five works by Tomoharu Murakami
- Exhibition Room C: Thirty-seven works by Keiko Kiyohara
- Second-floor open space: Four works by Yuriko Terasaki
- Second-floor corridor: Two ceramic pieces by Yoshiaki Yasuhara, one cast metal piece by Masahiko Katori
While photography is permitted in some areas of this exhibition, there are restrictions on which areas are permitted and how the photographs can be used. Therefore, it is necessary to check the signs and instructions at the venue and follow them.
My impression
■Keiko Kiyohara
The artist only left behind about 30 works, so the exhibition is condensed into a single room.
Although I felt I had seen each piece before, I enjoyed rediscovering them and appreciating the artist’s intricate line drawings.
Keiko Kiyohara (1955-1987), a copperplate engraver, brought her stories based on mythology and other sources to life through printmaking. Her delicate depictions are created through an incredibly painstaking process of layering lines onto copper plates.
This exhibition displays her final print, the sketches that served as its basis, the copper plates used for printing, and test prints. This allows viewers to compare and appreciate the differences.
Looking at her final print, I am always captivated by the brilliance of Kiyohara’s line-drawing technique. Her lines are not merely intricate; they integrate with the stories she created, allowing viewers to let their imaginations wander. The exhibition includes works that show the transition from test prints to final pieces, revealing the artist’s trial and error process and the evolution of her work.
Examining the sketches that form the basis of the prints reveals the artist’s solid drawing skills and her ability to conceptualize and arrange the elements that comprise the entire image. These magnificent line drawings are comparable to the superb sketches I recently saw at the National Museum of Western Art’s “Sketch Exhibition.”
The copper plates used to print the works reveal vivid engravings depending on the angle of the light. Though the artist has their own preliminary sketches, the engravings on the copper plates — where mistakes are unacceptable — feel like the artist’s very lifeblood.
The artist’s works are primarily found in private collections, as well as at the Hachioji Yume Museum in the artist’s hometown, the Meguro Museum of Art, and the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art. Because these collections are relatively concentrated, solo exhibitions are likely to be easy to organize.
■Keizo Tawa
Gallery A, the largest gallery, is luxuriously decorated with six works, including abstract paintings and four rectangular pillars in the style of Object titled “Untitled.” This installation-like display utilizes the entire space, allowing viewers to observe the changes caused by the overlap between themselves and the artwork. The feeling of having the artwork and space all to oneself when no one else is there is quite luxurious.
Summary
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of Keiko Kiyohara’s birth, this exhibition features newly acquired works. It combines pieces from the museum’s collection with borrowed items from other institutions, offering a comprehensive view of Kiyohara’s work.
Gallery A, the largest gallery, is uniquely shaped like an irregularly deformed hexahedron with one side of a square room bent into a mountain shape. This exhibition makes full use of this unique space.
Due to rising construction costs and other reasons, the museum’s 2025 renovation plan is currently in limbo. Therefore, exhibitions will likely continue here until the plan is finalized. We look forward to future exhibitions that make the most of this space.
Reference links
- Meguro Museum of Art・Official page
- Meguro Museum of Art Collection Exhibition: Focusing on New Acquisitions + Copperplate Engravings by Keiko Kiyohara・Official page
- Hachioji Yume Museum – 2017 Solo Exhibition “30th Anniversary of the Death of Copperplate Engraver Keiko Kiyohara”・Official page
- Suzaka Printmaking Museum – 2021 Solo Exhibition “Keiko Kiyohara: A Short-Lived Copperplate Engraver – Fantasy”・Official page
- Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art Collection Database – Keiko Kiyohara・Official page
寄付のお願い・Request for donations
Affiliate links
- Keiko Kiyohara・Ads by Amazon
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- Keiko Kiyohara・Ads by Yahoo Shopping
Photo Equipment
- LUMIX DMC-LX7
Update history
- 2025.10.18
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