Hiroshima Panels’ vividness restored ― Maruki Gallery to reveal Panel I to public today
Jul. 20, 2023
by Yohei Yamamoto, Staff Writer
Hiroshima Panel I was returned to the Maruki Gallery, in Higashi Matsuyama City, Saitama Prefecture, on July 19, for the first time in 19 months, following its restoration. The panel, titled Ghosts, was painted by Iri Maruki, an artist from Hiroshima’s Asakita Ward, and Toshi Maruki, his wife. The vividness of the panel, which depicts the tragedy of the atomic bombing, was restored after the art work had been cleaned of stains. It will be shown to the public starting on July 20.
The Ghosts panel, first exhibited in 1950, depicts a group of people wandering in burned clothing with tattered skin hanging from their bodies and arms raised. Over the course of about 70 years of being exhibited in more than 20 countries, the panel’s quality had deteriorated from stains and worn spots. For the restoration process, the panel had been relocated in December 2021 to the Institute for Conservation of Cultural Property at Aichi University of the Arts, located in Nagakute City in Aichi Prefecture. The Japanese paper on which the image had been painted was removed from the folding screen frames, and the stains were removed with water. The wooden frames of the folding screen and the backing paper for reinforcement were replaced.
On July 19, the gallery curators carefully removed the panel from a container and placed it on a display. At the same time, Hiroshima Panel II, titled Fire, was removed from the gallery for restoration. Yoshiro Shimizu, 62, director of the Institute for Conservation of Cultural Property said, “The couple’s brushwork conveys their desire to communicate and preserve the tragedy. I believe the restoration work is crucial for passing on the event to future generations.”
The Maruki Gallery established a fund in 2017 for the aim of preserving the Hiroshima Panels. Restoration of the remaining panels will be considered based on the status of the fund.
Keywords
The Hiroshima Panels
The Hiroshima Panels were created by Iri Maruki (1901–1995), an ink artist, and his wife, Toshi (1912–2000), an oil painter. The two artists together created a total of 15 panels between 1950 and 1982. The couple used ink and materials for Japanese-style paintings to create the paintings based on the devastation they had witnessed in Hiroshima after the atomic bombing. Each panel measures 1.8 meters in height and 7.2 meters in width. The Hiroshima Panels I–XIV are archived at the Maruki Gallery. Panel XV, titled Nagasaki, is housed at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki City.
(Originally published on July 20, 2023)
Hiroshima Panel I was returned to the Maruki Gallery, in Higashi Matsuyama City, Saitama Prefecture, on July 19, for the first time in 19 months, following its restoration. The panel, titled Ghosts, was painted by Iri Maruki, an artist from Hiroshima’s Asakita Ward, and Toshi Maruki, his wife. The vividness of the panel, which depicts the tragedy of the atomic bombing, was restored after the art work had been cleaned of stains. It will be shown to the public starting on July 20.
The Ghosts panel, first exhibited in 1950, depicts a group of people wandering in burned clothing with tattered skin hanging from their bodies and arms raised. Over the course of about 70 years of being exhibited in more than 20 countries, the panel’s quality had deteriorated from stains and worn spots. For the restoration process, the panel had been relocated in December 2021 to the Institute for Conservation of Cultural Property at Aichi University of the Arts, located in Nagakute City in Aichi Prefecture. The Japanese paper on which the image had been painted was removed from the folding screen frames, and the stains were removed with water. The wooden frames of the folding screen and the backing paper for reinforcement were replaced.
On July 19, the gallery curators carefully removed the panel from a container and placed it on a display. At the same time, Hiroshima Panel II, titled Fire, was removed from the gallery for restoration. Yoshiro Shimizu, 62, director of the Institute for Conservation of Cultural Property said, “The couple’s brushwork conveys their desire to communicate and preserve the tragedy. I believe the restoration work is crucial for passing on the event to future generations.”
The Maruki Gallery established a fund in 2017 for the aim of preserving the Hiroshima Panels. Restoration of the remaining panels will be considered based on the status of the fund.
Keywords
The Hiroshima Panels
The Hiroshima Panels were created by Iri Maruki (1901–1995), an ink artist, and his wife, Toshi (1912–2000), an oil painter. The two artists together created a total of 15 panels between 1950 and 1982. The couple used ink and materials for Japanese-style paintings to create the paintings based on the devastation they had witnessed in Hiroshima after the atomic bombing. Each panel measures 1.8 meters in height and 7.2 meters in width. The Hiroshima Panels I–XIV are archived at the Maruki Gallery. Panel XV, titled Nagasaki, is housed at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki City.
(Originally published on July 20, 2023)
