Let All be Well – Prayers in Paint –
Fukuda Art Museum in Arashiyama Kyoto is presents a special exhibition on the theme of “Prayer,” held from July 18 to September 6, 2026.
Even before history—before writing—people poured earnest hopes and heartfelt prayers into paintings. By creating art, and while viewing it, they have wished for the happiness of themselves and their loved ones, or hoped for peace in their country and beyond. Here, we are showing works that bring to light the diverse forms of prayer that artists have worked into their paintings.
First, we outline the role of Buddhist paintings, many of which relate Buddha tales and depict compassionate manifestations. With its long history and traditional subject matter, Buddhist painting presented a challenge to artists in the modern era who re-imagined it with fresh sensibility and more realistic expression. For the first time, we are presenting a complete display of the ambitious Buddhist-themed works held by the museum.
Artists and patrons have also had great interest in less austere paintings that conjure good fortune by representing lucky plants and animals. These so-called ‘auspicious paintings’ express hope in daily life. For instance, in Japan during the New Year period, in the hope of attracting luck and living in peace, it has long been customary to adorn the tokonoma alcove with paintings of the Seven Gods of Fortune, or cranes and tortoises, or pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms. A diverse selection of such auspicious paintings, featuring these motifs of prayer, is on display in the second-floor gallery.
In another turn, we present works by Higashiyama Kaii (1908–1999), a giant of Japanese painting whose every brush stroke was a prayer: he said, “Painting is the prayer of a heart that wishes to live sincerely.” Throughout his life, inspired by landscapes, he created works filled with a tranquil serenity that seems to purify the viewer’s heart.
Though your fast-paced life is busy, we hope you can take time out to let these works enter a dialog with your inner voice and find some moments of inner joy.
For making this exhibition possible, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all those involved in putting on this exhibition.
Exhibition Overview
| Title |
Let All be Well – Prayers in Paint – |
|---|---|
| List of Works |
To be updated |
| Dates |
July 18 (Sat.) 2026 – September 6 (Sun.) 2026 |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 – 17:00 (last entry 16:30) |
| Closed |
August 18 (Tue.) for facility inspection |
| Venue |
Fukuda Art Museum: 3-16 Susukinobabachō Saga-Tenryuji, Ukyō-ku, Kyoto |
| Entry Fee |
General / University student: ¥1,500 (¥1,400) * Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more.
<Combo Tickets with Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture> *If you purchase an online ticket of the Fukuda Art Museum, you will get a discount for the entry fee of the Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture. Therefore, you can enter both museums as the same price of the combo ticket. |
| Supported by | Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City, Kyoto City Board of Education |