PROFILE

Motoko Musha (1941 - 2008)

Born in 1941, in Japan. Studied "Nihonga", traditional Japanese style painting and oil painting for over 10 years before Motoko met "Suiboku-ga", ink painting works by the Chinese-Japanese ink painter Taku Go, who later taught Motoko ink techniques.  During her early career, Motoko took her first journey to Mexico wanting to learn influences of Japanese artist Tamiji Kitagawa who lead an influential "open air" art school in Taxco in 1930s, where she had immediately fell in love with the people and the country.  Motoko continued to travel to Mexico to paint, teach painting techniques and also held a number of exhibitions, and all these experiences had brought a unique dimension to Motoko's work and lifestyle.

Her audience are often surprised to see such variety in her artworks - not only painting flowers and bamboos in traditional ink painting style, Motoko also depicts images of Mexico, abstracts, portraits of Lombok women, water, landscapes, Mt. Fuji Buddhist Angeles inspired from wall paintings of Mogao Caves in China, and so on all in swift brush strokes of ink and water color.

Motoko was chosen to participate in a number of art exhibitions held in Asia and Europe, and her solo exhibitions were held more than 30 times in Japan and Europe. Motoko passed away in 2008 in Japan.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS - JAPAN

May.1993

Mie Prefectural Museum, Contemporary Gallery and Mie Gallery, Mie

Aug.1993, also held every year between 1994 - 1998

Kyukyodo Art Gallery, Tokyo  

Jan.1994

Central Kaigakan, Tokyo

Nov.1994

Kamakura Art Center Gallery, Kamakura

Nov.1996, Jan.1998

Ginza Shoro Gallery, Tokyo

Apr.1999, Jul.2001, Dec.2002

Court Gallery Kunitachi, Tokyo

Oct.1999

Yokkaichi Cultural Center, Mie

Oct.2000

Suzuka Cultural Center, Mie

May.2002, also held every year between 2003 - 2005

Kawamura Memorial Museum Gallery, Chiba

Mar.-Apr.2003

Kunitachi City Art Gallery, Tokyo

Apr.2005

Mie Gallery, Mie

Aug.2006

Yokkaichi Cultural Center, Mie

MEMORIAL EXHIBITIONS - JAPAN

Oct.2009

Memorial at Court Gallery Kunitachi, Tokyo

Apr.2010

Memorial at Paramita Museum Gallery, Mie

Nov.2010

Memorial at Ryokoji Temple, Mie

SOLO EXHIBITIONS & CLASSES - OVERSEAS

Feb.1991

Institute Cultural Cabanas in Guadalajala, Mexico

Feb.1991

Casa de la Cultura Mexico-Japon, Mexico City, Mexico

Sep.1991

Museo de la Acuarela Mexicana, Coyoacan, Mexico
Also instructed a class of Suiboku-ga at the Academy.

Feb.1993

State Museum of Watercolor, Toluca, Mexico
Also instructed a Suiboku-ga class through the cultural exchange program between Mexico and Japan, supported by Japan Foundation.

Mar.1993

El Consejo Nacional Tecnico de la Educacion, Mexico City, Mexico

Mar.-Apr.1993

Alberto Beltran Gallery, Xalapa, Mexico
ALso instructed a Suigoku-ga class.

May.1997

Hotel Nikko Mexico for the 100th Anniversay of Japanese Immigrants to Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

Oct.1998

Sprachzen fur Japanische. e.V presenting Japanese culture, Frankfurt, Germany

Sep.2000

Instructed a special course of Suiboku-ga and watercolor at Veracruz University, Xalapa, Mexico

Sep.2003

Casa Borda Culture Center, Taxco, Mexico
Also instructed a Suiboku-ga class.

Sep.2003

Instructed a special course of Suiboku-ga and watercolor at Loyola University, Acapulco, Mexico

Sep.2003

Instructed a special course of Suiboku-ga and watercolor at Calpulli Mogote, Acapulco, Mexico

Sep.2003

Instructed a special course of Suiboku-ga and watercolor at Villa Manuia, Acapulco, Mexico

Mar.2004

Gallery of Museum of Anthropology, Xalapa, Mexico.
Also instructed a Suiboku-ga class.

May - Jun.2007

Gallery Thuillier, Paris, France

Dec.2008

Memorial at Calpulli Mogote, Acapulco, Mexico

GROUP EXHIBITIONS - OVERSEAS

Jun.1987

Chosen to participate in the 1st cultural exchange event organized between China and Japan, Beijing, China

Nov.1996

Chosen as one of the leading Suiboku-ga artists in Japan to participate in BESETO (Beijing, Seoul & Tokyo) International Calligraphy and Ink Brush Painting Exhibition organized by Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Dec.1998

Reselected to participate in BESETO held in Tokyo.

Apr.2006

Participated in Grand Marche d'Art Contemporain (International Contemporary Art Fair), Paris, France

Apr.2006

Participated in Europe'Art Geneve (International Art Fair), Geneve, Switzland

Jun.2006

Participated in Japanese Art Exhibition organized by Embassy of Japan and International Bokuga Association at Oscar Wilde House Museum, Ireland

Aug.-Sep.2006

Participated in Grand Marche d'art Contemporain (Contemporary Art Fair), Valbonne, France

Oct.2006-Mar.2007

Participated in Japanese Art Exhibition, Poland

Feb.2007

Participated in International Contemporary Art Fair, Grunoble, France

May.2007

Participated in Europe Art Fair, Geneva, Switzerland

Jun.-Jul.2007

Participated in Artists of the World at Espace le Scribe l’harmattan, Paris, France

Aug.-Sep.2007

Participated in Contemporary Art Grand Market in Valbonne, Valbonne, France

Sep.2007

Participated in Exposition KAKEMONO of Japan at Espace Le Scribe-L'Harmattan, Paris, France

Nov.2007

Participated in ST-ART 2007 Contemporary Art Fair as a selected Japanese artist, Strasbourg, France