UNKEI - The Great Master of Buddhist Sculpture
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Standing Mujaku Bosatsu (Asanga Bodhisattva), By Unkei, Kamakura period, ca. 1212 (Kenryaku 2), Kohfukuji, Nara (National Tresure) Photo: Tomohiro Muda
Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Special Exhibition Galleries
September 26, 2017 (Tue) - November 26, 2017 (Sun)In Japan, no Buddhist sculptor is better known than Unkei. With his extraordinary artistic talent, he led a new era in sculptural expression, creating realistic works that appear before the viewer as though they were alive. For this Special Exhibition, Unkei’s masterpieces have been brought together from across Japan. These include works from Kohfukuji temple in Nara, with which he had close relations. In addition to presenting an overview of Unkei’s life as a sculptor, the origins of Unkei’s remarkable style and its transmission will also be explored through the inclusion of works by his father, Kokei, as well as his sons, Tankei and Koben.