TSUNEO MARUYAMA

Art Museum

About the
Tsuneo Maruyama Art Museum

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About the Tsuneo Maruyama Art Museum

February 2, 2025, Junko Torii

On June 9, 2018, I stood in the exhibition room of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. With my earphones, I listened to a voice reading aloud a letter Van Gogh had written to his brother, Theo, as I moved from one work to the next, arranged in chronological order. The artworks and the words, the visual and the auditory, blended seamlessly, drawing me step by step into Van Gogh’s world. I arrived at the final painting. Wheatfield with Crows (1890) signified the culmination of Van Gogh’s inner world. One cannot afford to behave in an unseemly manner in an exhibition room. Turning around, I saw a pillar. I stepped behind it, standing at the edge of the artist’s soul, and wept.

“I am deeply moved by the fact that Van Gogh’s paintings have been preserved for future generations thanks to the dedication of his brother, Theo, and his children.”
I wrote this in my diary.

I believe that this experience at the Van Gogh Museum led me to the decision to bring my father, Tsuneo Maruyama’s, works to the world.

In 2023, as the Shunyo-kai art society celebrated its 100th anniversary with nationwide commemorative exhibitions, a historic project was set in motion in Ueda city and Tomi city: Ueda Chronicle, an art exhibition offering a comprehensive overview of the modern art history of the Ueda region up to the present day.

“It has been 100 years since the seeds of art were sown in the Ueda region of Nagano Prefecture through the Children’s Free Art Education Movement and the Peasant Art Movement, both pioneered by Kanae Yamamoto. The seeds Yamamoto planted flourished through prewar activities of the ‘Noah-kai’ Society, led by his close friend Hakuyo Kurata, and postwar efforts of the Rokuen-kai workshop, guided by Shikanosuke Oka, who was introduced to the region by Hōan Kosugi. Many young artists embarked on their creative journeys and blossomed. […] This exhibition will highlight the artistic production of the modern and contemporary Ueda region, introduce its artists and their works, archive the history of art in the area, and strive to preserve it for future generations.”

(Excerpt from the Ueda Chronicle (tentative) event outline, September 2022.)

In the small yet historically rich region of Nagano Prefecture (Shinshu), located at the heart of Japan, outstanding works of art have been continuously created over the past century. This is a legacy worthy of global recognition.

The Shunyo-kai art society, which Tsuneo Maruyama cherished as a venue for presenting his works. The Rokuen-kai workshop, which nurtured outstanding artists under the guidance of Shikanosuke Oka. The Oya region (formerly Kangawa Village) in Ueda City—Maruyama’s birthplace and lifelong home, where movements like Children’s Free Art Education and Peasant Art took root.

I hope that people worldwide will come to know the history of this land and the works of its artists, which remain as vibrant today as ever.

To those who visit the Tsuneo Maruyama Art Museum, I sincerely hope you will experience the world of Tsuneo Maruyama, nurtured by this land’s rich history.

Acknowledgments

In the process of researching the artworks and establishing the Tsuneo Maruyama Art Museum, I received invaluable insights and support from many people, to whom I am deeply grateful.

Mr. Yomiaki Sakabe, Director of the Ueda City Museum, and the curators went to great lengths to retrieve the artworks from storage twice for research and photography. I also received valuable guidance from Mr. Sakabe on proper preservation methods.

Mr. Daiki Hyuga of the Tomi City Office in Nagano Prefecture, who worked as a curator on the Ueda Chronicle exhibition project, and everyone at the Umeno Memorial Art Museum in Tomi City, as well as Mr. Tadashi Ogasawara of the Ueda City Office, who also played a key role in the project, along with the staff at Santo Myuze, Ueda City Museum of Art, provided generous cooperation.

Mr. Yasuo Tanaka, a member of the Shunyo-kai art society, became a guiding presence for the Tsuneo Maruyama Art Museum with his keen artistic insights and deeply affectionate writings.

Mr. Yoshito Urano, also a member of the Shunyo-kai art society, vividly brought to life the history of the Rokuen-kai workshop, the teachings of Shikanosuke Oka, and the atmosphere of their study groups in the cross-talk session at the Ueda Chronicle exhibition. I am also grateful to Mr. Fukusuke Yonezu, a counselor of the Niki-kai Art Association, and all the members of the Rokuen-kai workshop for their support and invaluable discussions.

Mr. Sam Pritchard and Ms. Kaori Pritchard beautifully captured Tsuneo Maruyama’s artworks through their photography.

Antenna Co., Ltd. meticulously designed the online art museum, ensuring its aesthetic and accessibility.

Mr. Takeo Hosoi, President of Hosoi Construction Co., Ltd., provided unwavering support behind the scenes.

I am also grateful to the members of the Oya Neighborhood Association in Ueda City and the Maruyama family in Nagano City for their kind encouragement.

To each and every person who contributed to this endeavor, I extend my heartfelt thanks.