Rising Sun (cape Shio) 1931

Curator: What a marvel! Before us is "Rising Sun (cape Shio)" created in 1931 by Fujishima Takeji. You can see it’s an oil-paint landscape. Editor: It feels so serene! Like a dream almost fading back into consciousness. That diffused light… Curator: Takeji was deeply influenced by modernism and impressionism, focusing his plein-air practice on capturing fleeting moments and natural light. The symbolism here is pretty loaded: a new day dawns, hope arises. The interwar period in Japan was a cauldron of artistic innovation amid growing militarism. So the title "Rising Sun"… does that bring up historical questions? Editor: Of course! It's impossible to ignore the context. Yet the artist's choice of diffused strokes, a muted palette – that whispers more about hope, perhaps, than aggression. The reflection on the water shimmers with a kind of vulnerable beauty. Curator: I agree. He positions that very personal hope against looming ideological conflicts. Think about the cultural shifts. How can painting find balance? Takeji seems to be questioning identity during periods of colonial expansion… I also can't help but think about climate anxiety today, facing apocalyptic climate change; how will future societies feel about the sun? Editor: Wow, I see the anxiety. So relevant. And yet…look at the thickness of those oil paints! The greens and blues hum with life; you could dive right into that field and breathe it all in. The painting seems small, but its reach, the sun's reach is boundless. This dialogue between vulnerability and scope creates something unique! Curator: Absolutely, this landscape encapsulates complex tensions and personal hopes for his era and, strangely, our current moment, don’t you think? Editor: I think it is an exercise to pause, inhale light, and contemplate all.