Ethereal Washes of Color
Yoko Matsumoto, who turned 90 this May, has been painting for more than 60 years. Yet remarkably, this is the first time a museum is celebrating her breathtaking canvases with a large-scale solo show.
These extraordinary paintings are at once delicate and dynamic; hazy, ethereal washes of color drift and pile up like clouds until the canvas seems to vibrate with energy. The surface seems to fluctuate constantly, never quite settling. Matsumoto’s approach grew out of a year she spent in late-1960s America, where she discovered acrylic paint and raw, unprimed cotton canvas. In the 2000s, she turned to oil paint, working in rich greens, blacks and blues.
The show gathers 35 paintings and 15 drawings, curated with help from the artist herself, spanning her earliest work from the late 1950s to brand-new works shown here for the first time. Many are vast, with lengths spanning over 2 meters.
*Although the Fuchu Art Museum is not in central Tokyo, it’s not difficult to access; Fuchu Station is roughly 25 minutes by train from Shinjuku, and the museum is a short bus ride away. The museum is set within the peaceful greenery of Fuchu-no-Mori Park, which makes for a pleasant visit in its own right.
