Gen’ichirō Inokuma’s NYC Salon is the first New York solo museum exhibition of the Japanese modern artist Gen’ichirō Inokuma (1902–1993). Organized by Japan Society Gallery in collaboration with the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) in Marugame, Japan, the exhibition explores Inokuma’s paintings shown at the Willard Gallery and various multimedia works created during his twenty-year residence in NYC (1955–1975). Along with important holdings from MIMOCA, the exhibition presents Inokuma’s works in the Japan Society collection and the recently discovered Hirose Family Collection.
Inokuma’s Manhattan sojourn was shaped by meaningful connections with the American avant-garde: Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, Robert Rauschenberg, Alexander Calder, David Smith, Isamu Noguchi, Yoko Ono, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and many others. Inokuma and his wife, Fumiko, also served as a social and cultural bridge between American and visiting Japanese artists and architects, often hosting gatherings at their New York apartments. The exhibition features photographs, film footage, and ephemera documenting these artistic interactions.
By illuminating Inokuma’s little-known role in postwar American art history, NYC Salon brings new insights into New York City’s mid-20th-century art world—both its collaborative artistic atmosphere, and its vibrant international social scene.
Gen’ichirō Inokuma’s NYC Salon is organized and curated by Michele Bambling, Senior Director, Japan Society Gallery; with Kanako Furuno, Senior Curator, Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) and Madoka Matsumura, Senior Curator, MIMOCA.
Japan Society