Special Exhibitions：120th Anniversary of Birth Kokuta Suda Exhibition – “I WANT TO BE THE FORM ITSELF”
Organizing：Enokojima Art, Culture and Creative Center, Osaka Prefecture / enoco
Venue：Enokojima Art, Culture and Creative Center, Osaka Prefecture / enoco
Nearest Station：Osaka Metro Chuo Line or Sennichimae Line “Awaza”Station
Date：2026-10-16（Fri）〜2026-11-14（Sat）
Open：10:30-18:00 *Until 1:00 PM on the final day only
Closed: Mondays
Admission：Free
Contact Information：TEL +81 6-6441-8050
URL：https://www.enokojima-art.jp/sudakokuta120/
More Information：We are hosting an exhibition commemorating the 120th anniversary of the birth of Kokuta Suda, a painter known for his energetic and vibrant portraits, still lifes, and abstract paintings.
Kokuta Suda was born in 1906 (Meiji 39) in Fukiage Town, Kitaadachi District, Saitama Prefecture (now Kōnosu City). After graduating from the former Kumagaya Junior High School, he moved to Urawa (now Saitama City) with the aim of becoming a painter. While teaching himself to paint, he eventually made his debut at the Imperial Art Exhibition and went on to enjoy a successful career.
Later, in his mid-30s, his move to the Kansai region marked a major turning point in his life. It is said that his encounter with Kaun, his superior at Kannon-in Temple in Tōdai-ji, his interactions with the artists who gathered there, and—above all—his meeting with the painter Saburō Hasegawa had a profound influence on him, prompting Kōta to begin creating abstract paintings.
Held to commemorate the 120th anniversary of his birth, this exhibition features approximately 100 paintings—both abstract and figurative—created after his move to the Kansai region. Centered on works from the Osaka Prefectural 20th-Century Art Collection and valuable pieces from private collections, the exhibition brings together Kokuta Kokuta’s artistic career, which spanned a wide range of techniques and styles, under one roof.
Capturing the ceaseless flow of life—which never stops for even a moment—and distilling it into a single, static form: Kokuta referred to this materialization of the spirit as “sculptural form,” and he continued to pursue it throughout his life. Please explore the nature of this “sculptural form,” which Kokuta dedicated his entire life to exploring, through his works and the numerous writings on sculptural theory he left behind.
